Weapon from another world
by RusEmp
Summary: The Fire Nation seeked different ways of finishing the Hundred Years war and achieve victory. And it didn't matter which way exactly. Now, Danny was stuck with an arrogant and spoiled princess, who called him her servant. His day didn't begin that well.
1. Chapter I: Relic of the dead admiral

**A.N. Can this be considered a rewrite if the plot is completely different? Anyways, tell me what you think about this one. One thing. Danny may be a little OC. Just a warning, because many take it too seriously.**

Admiral Zhao was known for many things. Some heard about his cunning and talents as a fleet commander. To most he was an arrogant careerist with an overinflated ego, bordering on narcissism. But very few knew about his interests in one particular matter. By spending a long in a forgotten Spirit library hidden beneath the sands of Si Wong Desert, he searched through scrol after scroll for knowledge, which could aid the Fire Nation in its efforts to take over the world. And to allow him further ascend in ranks, among other things.

However, the admiral had lost in a battle against the Northern Water Tribe, and as a result, was trapped for eternity in the Fog of Lost Souls in the Spirit World for killing the Moon Spirit. But, the existence of hidden Oasis wasn't the only thing Zhao had discovered. He may have been arrogant, but stupidity wasn't one of his traits. That secret would have put him in shadows, and the admiral didn't want this. Still, just in case, he had written down everything and kept the information in his rich mansion in the capital.

One inadvertently said word of rumors in the Fire Nation high circles, and there was a squad of soldiers waltzing inside the mansion. They didn't meet any resistance. Zhao didn't have any relatives, so after his disappearance the mansion became empty, awaiting for a new owner. The soldiers were dressed in red armor, with opened helmets, unlike their comrades fighting on continent.

"Search everywhere," an order followed. "You know what we are looking for."

"Yes, War Minister," the soldiers acknowledged the command and scattered around.

War Minister Qin was an mid aged man with gray hair tied in a bun and a carefully attended beard. His eyes were amber, which was the native trait of the Fire Nation. He was wearing dark red robes, with a long collar of a brighter shade of red. He was one of the most important people in the country, being responsible for military technologies and creation of secret weapons.

The soldiers flipped over the entire building. War Minister meanwhile was sitting in Zhao's former cabinet. The room was nice and tidy, even despite a thin layer of dust. The man was not in hurry, with the mansion being so huge, it will take quite a while to search it throughly. After an hour of fruitless search, he sat on a chair, clasping his hands and leaning forward on a table. The minister tapped with his pointing finger as his expression showed his displeasure.

"That's what you get for trusting rumors," Qin muttered, before his eyes fell on Zhao's bust.

'Only Zhao could put his own bust in his cabinet,' he deadpanned mentally.

Suddenly Qin noticed something. There was thin black line on the bust's neck. It was too straight to be a simple crack. Raising his eyebrow, the minister moved its head, and to his surprise, there was a small button hidden in a hollow space. Qin pressed the button and heard a quiet rumble beneath the table. He looked there and saw that one of the small stone plates was opened.

"Hm, intriguing mechanism," Qin mumbled.

The plate was too small to go in, it was only big enough to put a hand inside, what the minister actually did. He felt something soft inside, even though he couldn't actually see what it was. Qin grabbed the item and pulled out. It was a scroll, no, several scrolls rolled in one tube. The minister unrolled them and, sitting back in the seat and closing the bust's head, started to read.

It was quite...enlightening. By the end of the last scroll, War Minister's eyes became as wide as saucers. Hiding such facts was bordering a treason, it could even help the Fire Nation win the war! It wasn't too late, he had time to get to the Royal Palace. Qin rolled the scrolls back in a tube and stormed out of the room. He ordered the nearest officer to regroup and return to their duties, saying he found what he was searching for.

The minister hurried outside and almost jumped into the carriage. He ordered to drive to the Palace immediately. The driver swung the whip and the carriage was pulled forward.

The land immediately surrounding the Royal Palace was barren and rocky, completely devoid of plant life, making stealthy infiltration nearly impossible. The wall encircling this estate separated the palace from the rest of the city. Outside the defensive perimeter were several lush gardens and villas for use by members of the Royal Family, filled with beautiful plants, trees, and ponds.

The palace itself was a single structure; an elaborate tower with triple eaves was at the center, with three distinct wings joining it. The two smaller wings stood on either side of the main entrance to the palace building. There were towers at the ends of these wings as well. Directly opposite of the main entrance was the third, larger wing, which housed the Fire Lord's throne room. And that was precisely where the minister went after passing the guards.

Inside, the palace was comprised of enormous halls and retains an intricate array of wings and chambers. Large tapestries lined the walls and elaborate fire-themed images and moldings were laid out all throughout the numerous sections of the structure. War Minister approached the huge doors and took a deep sigh, before knocking. Upon receiving permission, Qin entered the throne room.

It had many black pillars with elaborate gold bases that supported the roof and had black tiled floors. The imposing atmosphere was designed to instill awe and fear in all who enter, intimidating all who face the Fire Lord. The Fire Lord was on an ornate covered throne on a higher platform and was surrounded by a wall of fire. An enormous bas-relief image of a dragon breathing fire adorned the wall behind the ruler of Fire Nation.

The Fire Lord was a forty seven years old man. He had long flowing black hair, and a long thin beard. In his hair rested a golden headpiece, shaped like a flame and symbol of the state he ruled over. Ozai was wearing similar clothes to the ones the minister wore, except his were much richer. The Fire Lord raised his eyebrow at seeing the visitor.

"War Minister Qin, you haven't warned me about your visit," he said in cool voice.

Qin kneeled before him. "My apologies, Your Highness, but I bring urgent news. If I may..."

"Speak," Ozai interrupted, just to get this over sooner. He was just planning to leave.

"I have acquired some information, and I think it may even change the tide of war."

"Zhao used to say the same thing," the ruler commented. "We have already put more than enough resources to make that drill of yours."

"This shouldn't take as much effort, My Lord."

"Fine, I'm listening," Ozai waved his hand.

"I have found an information, which Admiral Zhao preferred to hide from your knowledge," the Fire Lord put a hand on his chin. Since there were no interruptions, Qin continued. "Those scrolls tell about beings, which rivaled spirits since the beginning of times. They are ghosts, souls of humans who died under...special circumstances," he briefly looked on the scroll, "And judging from last recorded event, they are ruled by the Ghost King, by the name of Pariah Dark. He had defeated the spirits and conquered their common world."

"Since when spirits became your speciality?"

"I am only sharing what I have found. If we could gain their sympathy..."

"Are you implying that we should ally ourselves with some ghouls?" Ozai asked in disgust.

"I'm not implying anything, the decision is all yours, My Lord," Qin bowed. "But the Avatar is known to rely on help from spirits, which should create tensions between the Avatar and the King."

"Which does not necessarily make him loyal to us."

"But he could destroy the Avatar. Pariah had defeated the most powerful spirits judging from what is written here. AND, the scroll also describes how to summon him. It states that he won't be able to act against the summoner."

The Fire Lord hummed, rubbing his chin. When he put it like that, the idea seemed rather tempting.

"And how the summoning can be arranged?"

"Not that much, as I said. Here is the list."

Ozai outstretched his hand and the minister put one of the scrolls in it. The Fire Lord examined it and truly enough, the ingredients could be easily found across the country. Surprising, considering how powerful the summoned being supposedly was. But all in all, he was satisfied.

"Fine, you have my permission. But it shall be done out of the city grounds and in secret, before we storm Ba Sing Sae. It should not interrupt you from the main project, am I clear?"

"Yes, Your Highness," the War Minister bowed one last time, taking back the scroll and leaving.

Qin was working tiressly. He had sent message hawks all around the Fire Nation, and one even into the colonies. And while he was waiting, he kept giving final touches to the drill. It was being constructed on the continent because of its sheer size, so he was sending instructions. He planned to oversee its victory himself, but it was too early for departing there.

Upon receiving final ingredient from the eastern Earth Kingdom, namely a box of poisonous white jade bush, Qin decided to finally put his plan into action. Inside the carriage, under watch of an escort, War Minister was rereading the scrolls for thousandth time. He couldn't allow himself to make a mistake. Suddenly the carriage stopped. Removing the scrolls, Qin angrily went out of the transport.

"Driver, why did you...stop," his expression switched from angry to fearful at the sight.

"Good evening, Minister," the teen girl greeted with a smirk.

She was fourteen years old, with raven hair tied in a short ponytail, with golden eyes, which had a gleam of pride in them. Yes, she was proud of herself for catching the lower ranking official unaware.

"P-princess Azula," Qin bowed, "What do I owe a surprise?"

The princess shrugged. "I was bored and a little birdie whispered that you are up to something. I wish to come."

"Of course, Your Highness," War Minister bowed again, inviting Azula inside the carriage.

In another plane of reality, a sixteen years old boy reduced his alarm clock to status of garbage by smashing his fist on it. The hit effectively shut the clock, but the teen groaned into his pillow.

"Another waste of money, nice going Fenton," he muttered, getting up in sitting position. "Why have I even bought it?"

The boy moved his messy hair away from his eyes, almost hidden behind the half closed eyelids. Danny rubbed them with his palm and yawned, before getting off the bed. The teen flinched as his back started to ache. Stupid bullet had inflicted more damage than it should have. Pierced spine had already healed, but it still was painful. Danny looked around the small apartment he was living in.

His home was very small, there were almost no walls separating different rooms. A small kitchen was on the opposite side from the bed, there was no living room whatsoever, only an old TV could grant some entertainment. Only the bathroom could grant some privacy. It was much cleaner than it was when Danny started living here, although it still needed massive repair. He was saving money for that task, but pickpocketing wasn't the most profitable job.

Danny wanted to start working like all normal people, he really did, but he couldn't risk showing up anywhere. Not when there was a govermental branch after him. That's all because of how unique he was. Besides him, there was only one halfa in existence. Halfa was a short term for a half-human, half ghost hybrid. He died very peculiarly, halfway, as the term says. Half of him still remained alive, with beating, even if slowly, heart.

It had also granted him multiple ghost powers, which Danny started commonly using in his daily routine. Mostly it was intangibility to reach into pockets of unsuspecting folk, and invisibility to get away in case someone noticed his crime. The only thing he could do to ward off his mind somewhere was beating up criminals much worse than him: murderers, gangsters, rapists. Detroit was the closest big city to his hometown, and since there was a lot of crimes, Danny decided that his small acts would be drown out by bigger news. In order to hide himself while fighting off the criminals, Danny learned how to use all his powers in human form, but he still resented to use his fists and supernatural strength, and sometimes intangibility.

He would have gone into the Ghost Zone, it was a much better perspective. But now there was only Vlad's portal, and the fruitloop would be waiting for him. He didn't have any intention to run into the crazy old man.

After completing water procedures, Danny reached for a drawer to take on some clothes. He tried to keep them tidy and nice, he even ventured to laundry from time to time. The ghost teen put on black hoodie and dark blue jeans, along with his old red and white sneakers. The hoodie had a NASA symbol on it, reminding the boy about his biggest dream. Danny then took a package of cereal from one of the shelves, along with a carton of milk from the fridge. 'Part of healthy ratio,' the package of dry breakfast said. He should be the healthiest guy in the world then.

When Danny took a spoon and prepared to dig into his food, he got a tingly feeling in his stomach. The feeling was familiar, another stupid cultist was summoning him. The half ghost sighed and calmly picked up the bowl with cereal, while still holding the spoon in another hand and continuing to eat. No idiot was going to interrupt his breakfast. He just hoped that this time he won't be summoned in another end of the world. The irony was about to punch him hard.

The procession following the Princess Azula and War Minister Qin had reached a secluded area deep inside the forest. Azula's face gained a deadpan expression when she saw where they were.

"Pray tell why we are in a middle of nowhere?" She asked, stepping out of the carriage.

"It was one of your father's conditions, Your Highness," Qin responded, following her outside, "Our procedure must be accomplished in secret. And we also needed a place with recently recorded spiritual activity."

"Just do it faster, I'm already getting bored," Azula crossed her hands.

Qin nodded and ordered to begin preparations. The soldiers were following the minister's commands, while he was looking into the scroll to make everything right. First, there was a simple sand. The wind was nonexistent at the moment, so it was very easy to put it in required shape on one particularly big and slim horizontal rock. When it was done, Qin ordered to put candles in each corner of the star.

"The sun had set," Qin said, before taking out a vial with green liquid. "It is time for the last step."

"Finally," Azula muttered. "What's in there?"

"A special mixture of herbs which is supposed to have magical effect in certain conditions. Now," the minister took out a dagger from his robes. "The last ingredient, the summoner's blood."

"Wait," Qin stopped from making a cut on himself. "For what purpose is it?"

"Ehm..."

"You want to bind it to YOURSELF, don't you? You have mentioned that this being will be forced to obey summoner's every command."

Qin winced almost invisibly. But the princess noticed that and smiled innocently. "It will be a shame if father finds out about your egoism," she said with fake pity as the minister paled. "But...I'm very kind, I'm not going to tell anything. But this thing will serve me, am I clear?" Her tone turned demanding.

"O-of course, forgive me, Your Majesty. Give me your hand, please."

Azula did as requested and Qin left a small cut on her finger. A few drops of blood fell inside the vial, and to everyone's surprise, the green liquid started to glow. War Minister approached the sign and poured the liquid on the sand. It started glowing with the same color, and the light was followed by a blinding white flash, so bright that everyone present had to cover their eyes. When they finally looked at the results, people were dumbfounded to say the least.

There was a teenage boy, wearing strange clothes they never saw before. He had messy pitch black hair and ice blue eyes, which gave slight chills even to the princess. On one of his fingers was a strange green ring with a skull. The weirdest part was that he seemed in a middle of food consuming.

Danny examined the place he was in. So far he was surrounded by a bunch of people in crimson armor, some of which had no weapons at all, which was weird. Two people stood out, and a girl was what caught his attention. She didn't seem to fit into the cultists he expected. Others fit just fine. He found her quite pretty, but the looks could be quite deceiving, he knew that. And there was something in her eyes what made him wary and put the half ghost on guard. Shrugging internally, Danny took another spoonful of cereal.

"So this," Azula pointed at the older teen. "Is your 'powerful otherworldly being which can destroy armies?" She asked in a language unknown to Danny. He waited till they say more, so one of his abilities kicks in. The ghost teen just kept eating.

"Th-there has to be some kind of mistake," Qin looked into the scroll.

"Or maybe you shouldn't have trusted some waste of paper," the princess crossed her hands. "You brought some peasant instead of a King of Undead."

Danny sighed mentally, at least he wasn't mistaken for Satan in disguise. "I'm afraid I rule only over ghosts, lady," he said sarcastically, and all the eyes turned to him.

A little ray of hope shone in Qin's stomach. "Do we have an honor to speak with the Great Pariah Dark?" He asked, causing Azula to roll her eyes at the minister's toady act. Still, she was intrigued by what that teen was about to say.

"No, I'm Danny. Danny Phantom," he answered, taking another spoonful. He will use his nickname for now.

"But why are you here, brat?! We have summoned Pariah!"

Danny blinked, before glancing down at the summoning sign, and the letters drawn around.

"Simple, this thing doesn't summon Pariah," he stated as if it was obvious, continuing to eat. "It summons the Ghost King, who, by the way, is standing before you."

"Are you his son or something?"

Danny chuckled. "Not exactly. I just slayed that brute and took his place."

That was...unexpected. If it was truth, then the kid was more powerful than he looked. Azula smirked, she liked this way of thinking. Deciding to act, she stepped forward.

"I am Princess Azula of the Fire Nation, the one whose blood was used to summon you. You are my servant now."

Danny raised his eyebrow. Why wasn't he surprised that he was in another world? He supposed it was as it should be, otherwise Clockwork would have interfered and took him home. But the situation he was in wasn't the most pleasant one, even if everything would be a nice change from living in slums.

"I would have applauded in joy, but my hands are occupied," he deadpanned.

Phantom threw the bowl away and accidentally knocked out one of the soldiers after hitting him in the face. Danny clapped slowly.

"Enough, servant, you come with me," Azula ordered.

"Do I look like I have a choice?"

He didn't know a thing about the world he was in, so it was only logical for him to follow. All that 'servitude' thing hadn't actually bothered him. He could leave whenever he wanted because he wasn't entirely ghost.

"No you don't. Let's move out, father will be interested to hear about this...development," the princess glanced at the Minister.

Qin gulped.


	2. Chapter II: Untrustworthy alliance

The road was quiet at first. Danny was sitting inside the carriage, looking out of the window and eyeing the landscape. He wasn't aware that two other passengers were eyeing him like some peculiar animal out in the wilds. He didn't look like a ghost at all. Aside from his strange clothing and piercing blue eyes, Danny looked like the average Fire Nation citizen. They were snapped out of their thoughts when the ghost started mumbling under his nose.

"I'm definitely not in Kansas anymore," he rubbed his chin.

"What is 'Kansas'?" Azula asked.

Danny looked at her and shrugged. "One of fifty states of America. I'm from Illinois personally, but I had to live in Wisconsin for some time."

Qin was confused. "Aren't you supposed to rule the Spirit World?"

Phantom snorted and chuckled. "Spirit World? Last time I remember it was called the Ghost Zone. Ah, good old race issues, they will never get old."

"I read that you hate each other," the minister continued.

"Well, I wouldn't put it that way...alright, we do hate each other. However, I'm rather apathetic to this rivalry. I have enough ghosts who want to end me just so they get the crown for themselves."

"Then execute them, is that much of an effort?" Azula asked leaning back in her seat.

Danny looked at her with mixed emotions. "Without actual proofs that they are up to something? That will be going against the law. Besides, when you challenge the King to a duel, only one can come out alive. Soon people won't be so willing to challenge me after some lose their afterlives."

He was truthful about the ghosts wanting to destroy him. Those few who managed to get into human world tried to kill him again. However, he was known to be merciful, everything Danny demanded from beaten foes was a promise to never bother him again. He never killed, and wasn't going to begin. Beating the hell out of criminals was another thing, he had to make sure they don't return on that dark path. He could create a terrifying image, black hood, which hid his face, and two deathly green glowing eyes. They ran away the second they saw him now.

Silence settled again in the carriage. Danny looked out of the window, now looking at the city around. If he didn't get it previously, he was confident that this society was pretty backwards. They got to the Palace, where there were already soldiers waiting for them. Azula was the first one to come out of the carriage.

"Come, servant," she ordered.

Danny smirked. "I think I outrank you, PRINCESS," he teased.

Azula turned back to him and narrowed her eyes. Soldiers around broke into nearvous sweat, awaiting for something to happen.

"You still shall follow my commands, so I outrank you," she said, daring him to say anything.

Despite what he could do and retort with, Danny decided not to provoke her any further. He didn't want another country to be after his pelt. Danny followed the officials inside the Palace, putting his hands into pockets of his hoodie. They went through the several corridors full of pompous decorations and pictures. He made a few assumptions. Those guys were obsessed with fire, which should have been obvious, since they call themselves the FIRE Nation. Again, Phantom was convinced that he was indeed the clueless one, as his friends preferred to call him.

He was interrupted from his musings when they approached the huge doors. One of the guards standing beside it stepped forward.

"Your Highness, War Minister, the meeting is in process right now," he reported, bowing to each of them respectively.

Qin paled. "I thought it was tomorrow..."

"The Fire Lord ordered to call it sooner," the guard explained.

Azula smirked, understanding what was going on. "Oh, looks like father wishes to show your success to the War Council as soon as possible."

"War Council?" Danny asked, raising his eyebrow.

The princess snorted and laughed under her nose. "I'm definitely going to stay and watch."

Phantom didn't know humans could be that white. Qin really looked ready to faint. Wait, did that girl just insult him? He didn't have time to react, because the doors were opened and the minister went inside, along with the princess. Danny guessed that he was expected to follow. He looked around the huge hall, before his eyes fell onto its center. There was a big table, besides which were sitting several important looking people. Since it was a War Council, Danny guessed those were military figures. He then saw a man sitting on the throne, looking down at the table. He looked at the new arrivals.

"Ah, War Minister. We were just waiting for results of your project," the Fire Lord greeted.

Qin bowed, while Azula almost unnoticeably stood near the wall. Danny wasn't sure about how to proceed.

"My Lord, the summoning has been successful, but the results were...unexpected."

Ozai finally payed attention to unfamiliar kid standing nearby. "Who is this boy?"

Danny stepped forward. "Daniel James Phantom, Lord of the Infinite Realms and King of Ghosts at your service."

The Fire Lord sized the boy in front of him, before turning to the minister. "Explain."

Phantom decided to intervene again. "Your Majesty, I believe I can tell more than your subordinate. You ARE the Fire Lord I heard about, I presume?"

Everyone was taken aback by his straightforwardness. Ozai leaned forward in his throne. "You are right. Now, I want to know why you are here."

Danny shrugged. "I was summoned," he stated the obvious. "Your info is a bit outdated, though. Pariah is not the King for almost two years by now."

"Go on," Ozai said.

"Well, I read the scrolls your buddy had here," Phantom pointed at Qin, who winced slightly. "It seems that they are at least...one thousand years old. Pariah indeed conquered the entire world and renamed it into Ghost Zone. However, his rule lasted for two hundred years only. He managed to beat his opponents one by one, but once they united, he was imprisoned till the events two years ago. Pariah was freed by my idiotic 'uncle'. Vlad wanted to get his crown and ring. Once used together, they could grant godlike power. His plans failed and I had to clean up the mess. I beated Pariah and, as a result, was declared the heir to the throne. I even have the ring."

Phantom showed his hand, and at his words the ring glowed brightly with green light, except its eyes, which glowed red.

"I'm called the King, but until eighteen I have no rights to rule."

"Why?"

"Because eighteen is the age of reaching adulthood in our culture. Until then I don't even have rights to use the treasury," he mumbled the last part.

Ozai leaned back in his seat of power, rubbing his bearded chin in consideration.

"You sound honest, boy. In that case, I welcome you into our world and country, King Phantom," he gave a faint smile.

Qin was actually more relieved than Danny.

"And I'm honored to be pulled here," Phantom nodded, putting a palm on his chest and trying to sound flattered.

"I'm interested in hearing more about your state."

"Let me guess," Danny leaned on the table, glancing on a map lying on the floor. "You are interested in military affairs, don't you?"

"What gave you this thought?"

Phantom looked at the Fire Lord with a deadpan expression. "It is a 'War Council', Your Majesty. Be it an offer of trade you wouldn't have invited me on obviously secretive meeting. Or summoned me at all."

"You are quite observant," the ruler noted. 'Too much for your own good,' he added mentally.

Azula rolled her eyes, Ozai was trying to get Phantom's alignment with pleasantries. The Fire Lord continued. "So, are you going to share this information?"

"Hm," Danny put a hand on his chin. "Most of my world has lived in anarchy for millenia. Split into independent domains of several warlords, chieftains, princes and kings. In my times of a commoner I've gained several allies among them. One of the most advanced tribes worships me as god, one queen is my friend, I've even staged a coup and put a loyal princess in charge. By pledging allegiance to me, they have obliged themselves to answer my call."

"Do you have forces of your own?"

Danny looked at the distance and tapped on the table in thought. "About fifty thousand soldiers, who will live and fight no matter the wounds as long as their ruler walks. There is one problem, however."

"What problem?" Ozai asked, raising his eyebrow and cursing mentally. Nothing can be so easy.

"I am present in this world only because of the ritual. I don't have an ability to rip a fabric between the worlds, I have a friend who can, but he is currently on the run from the police," he noticed confused looks and sighed. "That's how we call guards. Their boss hates me with passion, even if I'm soon to be the ruler. He had long since stopped following laws and started popping up with ones of his own," Danny coughed. "Sorry, I'm ranting now. Anyways, you get my point."

Ozai tapped on a hand of his throne. By the slight wrinkling of his face, Phantom understood that the Fire Lord wasn't pleased. Since it was his only lead in this world, Danny decided to stick around for now, and for that he had to make this 'alliance' work. Danny suddenly perked up, as if he had gotten an idea.

"For quite a while my family has been studying the nature of gateways between the worlds," he said, causing all the eyes turn to him. "My parents were able to build an artificial one, and I believe I will be able to recreate it, given time and resources. Until then, I'm ready to offer my own power as a preamble for our alliance."

It was his chance. If Danny manages to build the portal, he will be able to get to safe haven till he turns eighteen. No more running or fighting for his afterlife. It was the perfect opportunity. He just mentally prayed that Ozai agrees on his proposal.

The Fire Lord was contemplating pros and cons of the offer. After a minute he spoke again. "We will be happy to secure an alliance, but...we would like to SEE what you have to offer. Would you honor us with presentation?"

"Depending on how you would like me to present it."

"General Lao, you were about to report," Ozai looked down at one of the officers.

"Yes, Your Highness," The general stood up and walked into the center, picking up the stick and stepping on a big map, "We have rallied ten divisions of our troops towards Omashu," he moved metal figures towards southwestern part of a huge continent. "Our attack on the eastern part of the continent keeps the main forces of the Earth Kingdom occupied. All the supply lines to the city have been cut off, we were intending to starve them out."

"No, this won't be required. Our newest friend will lead the assault, as his royal status allows."

Everyone's eyes widened in shock, and Danny's opened extremely wide. Of all the things he could be asked for, Phantom was assigned to lead an army. However, it wasn't like he had a choice in that matter. Danny's expression became confident as he puffed his chest a bit.

"I'm honored by such level of trust, Your Majesty. I have just one request."

Ozai nodded, prodding the ghost teen to continue.

"Is there any way I can learn about the world I'm currently in?" Danny chuckled. "I don't want to get into embarrassing situation, I don't even know what an Earth Kingdom is."

The Fire Lord hummed. "I grant you access to the Royal Library, but I'm afraid you will have to depart tomorrow. We need Omashu in our hands as fast as possible."

Danny shrugged, "I guess I'll spend the entire night reading. Good thing I woke up a few hours ago."

"The guards will show you the way there. But do NOT make my trust in you misplaced. Please, do not wander off."

"Sure thing," Phantom nodded, before following the soldiers out of the room. Near the doors he glanced at Azula and smirked. He DID outrank her.

What no one knew is that on his way he created an invisible duplicate of himself, who shared one consciousness with the original. The duplicate remained inside the room, because he didn't have a slightest bit of trust into those guys. Ozai just gave off that almost solid backstabbing aura. Azula approached the Fire Lord.

"Father, don't you think you trust him too much?" She asked.

"We have to know what he is capable of without making him suspicious. And that's why you will accompany him and then report directly here. Phantom may be a valuable asset in our cause. If he is not, shouldn't be too hard to dispose of."

"But, I already have a task," Azula argued.

"Your brother and uncle are not a priority anymore, they are not worth the time. The barge will be prepared by noon tomorrow, go and prepare."

"As you wish, father," she bowed and walked away. When she turned her head away, her expression turned pissed off, which only Phantom could see.

Danny's duplicate shrugged and dispersed on his observation point, passing everything he had heard to the original. It wasn't a certain proof of planned betrayal, but he still better be on guard, ignoring the insult of being called an 'asset' and disposable. The question was, who will betray the ally first - he, when the portal will be done, or they, after the Ghost King will win several battles for them.

Phantom was led into the library, and he found it really huge. Danny didn't know where to start, so he simply grabbed the scroll from the history section and sat on a chair, putting his legs on the table. From time to time Danny briefly looked up from his reading. The guards stood near several doors, unaware that it wasn't going to stop the ghost teen if he wanted. But he didn't, Phantom wasn't going to push his luck, not when it had finally smiled at him.

Next morning Azula woke up in dampened mood. Thankfully, she didn't damage anything or anyone during her morning procedures. The second she was dressed, the princess stomped right into the library, scaring the guards as she passed. When she pushed open the doors, Azula started to look around, searching for Danny. Not being able to find him, the princess turned to one of the guards.

"Where is he?" She growled.

The guard only used his pointing finger to point upwards. Azula looked up, and her eyes widened. Danny was grinning down at her from the ceiling.

"Morning, princess, how can I help you?" He asked.

"How did you..."

"Uhm, hello, I'm a ghost."

Phantom jumped down and floated an inch above the ground, before landing softly in front of her. "Even a toddler can do that."

Azula narrowed her eyes, clenching her fist. She couldn't harm him, not yet, and boy, Danny was going to enjoy it.

"Soo," he clasped his hands. "Is there going to be the breakfast? My last one was rudely interrupted."

"Help yourself," the princess waved her hand nonchalantly, before turning and walking away.

"I guess I'll just follow you theeen," Danny said in sing-song voice.

Azula groaned and put a hand over her face. Phantom was going to give her a massive headache.

The breakfast was on one of the balconies, and thank goodness, the Fire Lord ate separately, it would have been incredibly awkward otherwise. By looking at the delicious looking food Danny felt his legs go weak. He didn't have a full breakfast in such a long time. However, Phantom had a strong willpower, he didn't immediately run to it, and ate on steady pace. Two teens hadn't said a word, and the princess was happy that Danny's mouth was occupied. Her happiness didn't last long.

"Nice city," Phantom commented. The balcony gave a nice outlook on the capital, and during the day Danny was able to see it more clearly.

"It is the greatest city in the world and soon it will be its capital," Azula announced.

Danny shrugged, "It is very protected, but lacks the ability to expand."

"Is that so?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Well, yes, it is limited by the edges of this...volcano, right?" Phantom recalled the information he had recently learned. "We have long since passed the age of walls."

"Why?"

"Because the weapons we have created could turn the biggest walls into rubble in a matter of minutes, if not seconds. And no, I don't know how they are made," he added, foreseeing the question. "There were fortifications, but the cities are not limited now. Their populace counts millions now. Just imagine, wherever you look, the city goes through the horizon. My world is more advanced, obviously."

"And how much exactly?" Azula couldn't deny a slight curiosity.

"Well, so far I've only seen your country. The closest definition will be Japanese Empire before the Second World War. All those Asian traditionalism, going along with one of the most modern war machines."

"And what is this war?"

"The bloodiest conflict in history of mankind. In just six years, sixty millions dead, and if we count all the people who died in a Sino-Japanese war, which started two years prior...tell me, how many people died in the last hundred years of your war?"

"Clearly not as much," Azula responded, shrugging. "And how that war ended?"

"It was finished about seventy years ago, when Japan, being the last remaining member of Axis alliance, signed capitulation. Anyways, we are not in my world, let's talk about yours. I've been wondering, for what purpose this war began? Just so you will have world domination?"

"The strongest shall rule and the weak live to serve. Simple as that."

"Not to offend, but of all elements, fire is the weakest in my opinion."

"What?!" She snapped.

Phantom leaned back in his seat nonchalantly. "Just think about it, water can extinguish it, air can wave it away, and earth does not give a damn. This is why so far it has been a stalemate."

"We are pushing through the Earth Kingdom, we WILL win this war," Azula stood up and leaned on the table, anger clear in her voice.

"That's because they do not have war machines. I've been talking only about magic," Danny raised his hands in fake surrender. "Again, I do not mean to offend. We are on the same side, fighting with each other won't make us any good."

Azula took a breath. "Speaking of which, the departure is at noon. However, it's not like you have any belongings to pack."

"Yes, thank you for that," Danny nodded and smirked.

"Ugh, I'm not going to search for you again, so you better not to hide somewhere by then."

With that the princess stormed away and shut close the door. Danny looked at the guard standing nearby.

"Is she always like that or she just hates me?" He asked. The guard was quiet, nervously shifting a spear in his right palm. "Hey, I promise I won't tell anything."

The guard sighed. "It's not just you...Your Highness."

Danny blinked. "The rumors sure spread fast around here," he commented in amusement. "I'll wait in a library, then."

At noon there was already a palanquin awaiting for the princess. It was mostly red in coloration, with golden trim lining the top and edges. Two steps led to the seat, which had red cushions and is concealed on three sides by a pink cloth attached to the exterior of the palanquin's top. A smaller cloth also hanged from the roof, that one was mainly black and adorned with red borders as well as the Fire Nation insignia. The palanquin bearers, of which there were usually four, held the vehicle from the bottom side where the red bars were.

Azula went out of the Palace, before looking around. She sighed in annoyance, not seeing the half ghost anywhere. It's his problem, she decided. The princess sat in a transport, and she was lifted by a bunch of strong men.

"Sup."

Azula flinched out of surprise as her head snapped to the side and saw Phantom grinning at her.

"One day I'll burn you down if you keep popping up like that," she glared at him as the palanquin stopped.

"Is it my fault my footsteps are soundless?" Danny deadpanned, stomping on the ground soundlessly. "I don't know the reason behind that."

"Good, then continue to walk soundlessly," Azula grinned innocently and ordered to keep going.

Danny rolled his eyes and walked nearby. "I'll go there on my own," he informed, before suddenly disappearing in thin air and surprising everyone.

Phantom took off the ground and invisibly landed right on top of the transport. He was grinning all the while, patiently waiting to reveal himself. He was very light, so the bulky men carrying the palanquin weren't bothered by extra weight.

They went down into the harbor, where Danny saw a big ship, which, by his futuristic opinion, looked utterly ugly. A dark gray metal box which was somehow still above the water. What kind of moronic engineer puts a freaking HOUSE with several floors on the ship? He also didn't see any cannons. However, the house looked pretty nice by itself, and a red and golden ornament on the ship's nose as well. Danny was surprised that the palanquin was carried on the ship directly. Phantom phased his head through the roof and looked at Azula, dropping his invisibility.

"Hey, princess."

Azula threw a blue flame into his face. Danny extinguished a tiny fire on his hair with two fingers, causing a thin line of smoke go up. Even if he had a weakness to big temperatures, his ice core could grant him resistance to fire as long as the flame was small enough and weaker than the core. Phantom gave a devilish grin at her furious expression and jumped from the roof and stood near the transport.

"What, I'm a ghost, scaring people is only natural."

"I'm not scared, I want to throw you off this ship," Azula hissed.

"This is a diplomatical insult," Danny whispered, but his tone clearly stated that he wasn't actually hurt at all.

"Greetings, Princess Azula."

Danny turned to the source of two elderly voices. "AGH!" He yelped and jumped. "Scary old ladies!"

There indeed were two old ladies in crimson robes and seemingly uncomfortable hats. They were twins by the looks of them. The ladies simultaneously raised their eyebrows in confusion. Azula couldn't hold her laughter. Looks like the ghost could be scared as well.


	3. Chapter III: Surrender of Omashu

On the inside the Royal Barge was much nicer than on outside. Well, judging from the princess' attitude, Danny guessed that she got used to luxury. Thankfully, he wasn't given some janitory, but a very nice room to stay with a king-sized bed. Phantom definitely died again and gone to heaven. The entire ride went nicely. Without any storms so far, and even without Azula trying to burn him down. Probably because he hadn't bothered her...much.

Most of the time Danny was reading the scrolls he had 'borrowed' from the Royal library. It's not like the Fire Lord would miss a few books consisting the basics about the world. He had searched for information about Omashu. Apparently it was one of the most protected fortresses of the Earth Kingdom. Danny was baffled about how their fortresses were even penetrable, the earthbenders could just raise another wall after the previous one was broken. Thankfully, the scrolls had the information about how that system worked. So, Danny spent the time by planning the assault. After all, his future depended on its results.

In the last day of the trip Danny noticed that the crew was summoned to the deck for some reason. Phantom shrugged and, after some time of contemplation, decided to check what was going on. He flew through the ceiling and became visible on the open air. There he saw soldiers standing in two lines to the left and to the right from the princess. They were dressed in red and golden armor, with closed helmets.

"My brother and my uncle had disgraced the Fire Lord and brought shame to all of us," Azula told the soldiers as she strolled forward. The soldiers noticed the half ghost, who was leaning at the wall, trying to stay away from two grannies who looked ready to start decaying.

"You may have mixed feelings about attacking members of the royal family," the princess continued. "I understand. But I assure you, if you hesitate, I will not hesitate to bring you down. Dismissed."

The soldiers went back to doing their own things, and Danny walked straight to her.

"Incredible, you make the most inspiring speeches," he said sarcastically.

She sighed. "And the day began so well," she grumbled. "What do you want?"

"Nothing in particular, I was just curious, and my back had started to ache from all the sitting on one place."

"You rode a sea lion yesterday."

"Exactly. Yesterday. It was more like an exception. Besides, that thing tried to eat me all the time."

Before Azula could make rather obvious remark about her true wish, the captain called for her from behind. Danny decided to leave, so he slowly sinked through the ground. Soon he returned into his room and flopped on a chair. What was he supposed to do until sunset, the ship was supposed to arrive only by then.

Danny was proved wrong when he saw a land out of his window at noon. When Phantom visited the bridge to clarify the situation, the captain told him that Azula ordered him to ignore the strong tides, and threatened to throw him overboard if he doesn't obey. For some reason, Danny wasn't surprised. Unlike the princess, he could understand the officer's concerns. That rustbucket looked like it was ready to sink any moment, but Danny kept his opinion to himself, not willing to offend the pride of their fleet.

The ship had reached the port, and Azula had called for the ghost teen. With a look of disbelief Phantom entered her chambers.

"You have a talent of summoning me, Your Majesty," he said with a grin. "What can I do?"

From her seat near the mirror, Azula rubbed her temples. "I need a break from you."

She threw him a small tube, which was used for message hawks.

"Inside is a message from the Fire Lord. Give it to a commander of the army, and they will be obliged to follow your orders. I expect Omashu to be conquered by the time of my arrival."

"Are you not coming?" Danny asked in confusion.

Azula shrugged. "I am, but you go ahead. I have another job to accomplish."

"Tracking down your relatives, I presume?"

"That's none of your business, servant. I don't care how you get there, but you better do it quick."

"You just have to make it complicated, don't you?" Danny crossed his hands, causing the princess to smirk.

"What? Our mighty King of Ghosts can't make it to the battlefield alone?" She teased.

Danny shrugged and approached the door. Suddenly a devious grin appeared on his face, which went unnoticed by Azula. "Says the one who walks around with her own small army."

He opened the door and hid behind it, protecting himself from a raging blue inferno. He patted his shoulder and extinguished what managed to get through the edge of the door.

Danny entered his room, before putting the message tube on a table. He took a deep breath.

"Going ghost," he whispered.

With a loud whirring sound and a blinding flash of moonlight, a pearly white ring appeared around his waist, before splitting in two and traveling up and down. When they finished their path, Danny looked much differently. His hair became whiter than snow, and his eyes started to glow with deathly green color. The clothes also changed, instead of hoodie and jeans was a tight one-piece black jumpsuit, with a white 'DP' emblem on his chest. His sneakers were replaced by white boots, and his palms were hidden beneath white gloves.

Danny looked at himself in a mirror. "I've almost forgotten how it feels like," he mumbled under his nose.

He took a map from the table and scrutinized it. He had already marked a route to Omashu, which went through the mountain territory. The fastest way to get there was by air, which was precisely why Danny had changed into ghost form. He could fly faster in it and his increased stamina allowed to travel longer. Still, flying on higher than average speed, namely hundred miles per hour, he could get to Omashu by the night, and that's without breaks, which was not a part of his plan.

Phantom took the message tube and tied it to his belt and rolled the map back intl scroll. He became invisible and intangible, before flying out of the ship.

Once right below the clouds, Danny regained a vertical position and took a deep sigh of satisfaction. The biggest thing he missed about his ghost form was flight. This feeling, when he could deny the laws of nature and ignore gravity. Shaking his head slightly, Danny unrolled the map again and flew in required direction. He smiled as the slight wind blew into his face and ruffled his pearly locks. He flew above several settlements, not worried about being spotted. Maximum that people were able to see was a black dot.

It was a long way north, and by sunset Danny got really bored. There were only mountains around, dry gray mountains. Besides, he left without lunch, so Phantom was also hungry. And with only rocks everywhere, there wasn't much food around. Sighing, Danny landed on a flat rock and put a hand under his chin.

"What shall I do..." he muttered.

Suddenly, he heard a rustling nearby and saw a paperbag lying nearby. Raising his eyebrow, Danny looked inside and his face gained a deadpan expression.

"Clockwork," It was not a question, it was a statement.

Of all the things to help him with, it was only a food from cheap fast food restaurant. Thank you, All Powerful Time Lord.

The half ghost sighed and shook his head. Phantom just took out a burger, situated on the edge of the cliff and started to eat. Once he made the last sip of soda, Danny got on his feet and fired a green beam at the package, leaving only ash from it.

"Protect the environment, kids," he mumbled, clenching his fist and extinguishing green smoke coming from his palm.

Phantom took off the ground and continued his path.

The flight came to an end about ten p.m. Phantom saw multiple lights on the distance, which meant he had found the Fire Nation camp. He landed on a short distance from it and turned human again. He went towards the lights and soon were greeted by a bunch of red tents with unmistakable fiery coat of arms. Danny didn't make it far, because he was immediately spotted by a passing patrol. And since he obviously was not a local, much less an armored soldier, his presence caught their attention.

"Hey, you!" One of them called.

Danny looked like he didn't give a damn. Oh, wait...

"What are doing here?" The soldier asked.

Phantom shrugged. "I have to see your commander."

The soldiers burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, ignoring narrowed eyes of the ghost teen. The one in charge looked up from the ground, wiping a tear from his eye, and saw a tube right in front of his eyes. He flinched, recognizing what it was.

"The Fire Lord's orders," Phantom said coldly, as his eyes flashed green for a brief moment. The patrolmen thought it was a trick of light. Danny hated when someone tried to make fun of him.

The soldiers paled after learning that piece of information. "Uhm, this way, I'll show you the road, just don't tell anyone," the captain said.

Danny's look softened a bit. No, he won't tell. "I'll think about it," he said nevertheless, just to get the best results.

The soldier walked in certain direction and the ghost teen followed. All the while he was receiving multiple confused glances, but since there was the captain near him, they weren't worried. The oficcer gestured for a tent.

"General is inside," he said.

"Thank you, return to your duties now," Danny flashed a slight smile.

Phantom entered the tent, and noticed several people inside. One in particular stood out from the rest, because he wasn't wearing any armor, only rich robes. The mid aged man had gray hair, tied in a high asian bun, along with a short beard. The entire HQ looked at the newest arrival in confusion.

"Hello there," Danny smirked.

"Who let the kid inside?" The commander asked harshly.

Phantom gasped dramatically, putting a hand on his heart. "That's what I get instead of welcome," he deadpanned, throwing a tube with a message, which was caught by the man.

He raised an eyebrow. "Why not message hawk?" The man asked, unrolling the scroll.

"It would have been too slow. Just half a day ago I was on the ocean shore," Danny crossed his hands.

"And I recommend to choose your words carefully," his smirk grew wider at seeing the man's shocked expression once he read the message through. "You are talking to your superior now."

"Y-yes, forgive me, Your Majesty," the man bowed slightly, as the other officers read the message themselves. "I'm General Ukano, the loyal servant of the Fire Lord."

"I certainly hope so," Danny nodded. "Pleasure to make an acquaintance, and please, call me Phantom, I'm not a King here."

Ukano was a bit surprised at the royal's humble attitude, and not only him. Danny ignored their confusion and looked at the map lying on a table.

"So, do you have a plan already?" Phantom asked curiosly.

"Uhm, no, we have only blocked the supply lines. There are three miles to Omashu, and we will have to go around that mountain behind us."

Danny rubbed his chin and hummed. "How many earthbenders do they have?" He asked.

"Our intelligence reports about at least thousand, not mention three thousand of garrison non-bending soldiers," Ukano reported.

"And how many do we have?"

"About the same amount, but we have twice as much firebenders. Besides, we have trebuchets and catapults."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have whole ten divisions?"

"Well, we needed to cover all roads to the city. Even if there is only one gateway, there are different roads leading to it. We had to spread our forces to block them without coming into line of sight."

"I see," Phantom drummed his fingers on the table. "I can open the gateway for you and cover the forces until they get through."

"But there is an entire army!" Ukano exclaimed in shock.

"The Fire Lord wants to see a true power his ally wields. And I shall demonstrate it," Danny grinned as his eyes glowed green.

Everyone flinched in surprise and gulped, that kid was damn scary. Phantom didn't pay attention to it.

"My task is not to beat entire army, just hold them away from the city gates and help our troops to get inside without any threats. Open fire from all machines you've got on my signal. It will assist me and keep the enemy soldiers occupied."

He received a nod from a person responsible for the 'artillery'.

"Are there any secret passageways we can use?"

The commanding officers looked at each other and shook their heads. "Not any we know about," Ukano responded.

"And the sewers? Their trash must go somewhere."

"You aren't really suggesting to use them for a surprise attack?" The general asked hopefully.

"First we need to know where those sewers are...Hmm, what about our opponent, the King I mean."

"He is a rare nutcase. Guess being more than hundred years old does that to people."

"That makes our job complicated. From experience I know that crazy fruitloops are dangerous and unpredictable. Besides, being crazy doesn't mean you can't be smart," Danny shrugged. "Anything else?"

"There are rumors saying he is an extremely powerful earthbender."

"Ah, worthy opponent, good. Anyways, that's what we are going to do..."

On the next morning Phantom was to be presented to the soldiers. However, an image of a teen in ridiculous, by their standards, clothes would have given a wrong impression. Thankfully, Danny was tall for his age, not a giant like his father, but enough to let him wear standard ligjt armor. It included leather neck guard, a combination of shoulder pads and armored collar and a leathern, sleeveless robe, and heavy boots. There was also a helmet, but Danny decided against wearing it. Other than that and lack of personification he would add later, he liked what he wore.

Danny stood in front of the soldiers, who looked confused. The light armor the ghost teen had chosen wasn't exactly a sign of high ranking officer. And judging from Ukano's fear and respect, they assumed that's who Phantom was, which wasn't far from truth.

"Soldiers," the teen called, "First of all, let me say good morning. But that is only pleasantry you will get for now. I am Daniel Phantom, your newest commander."

His eyes flashed green, and in relative darkness everyone could see their neon glowing.

"I have been asked by the Fire Lord to lead this assault. And for such important task as this, our combined efforts must bring us swift, decisive victory. In front of us lies Omashu, a city, which had never fallen into enemy hands through all its existence. We are about to change its flawless record, and you have been given an honor to be written down in history. You haven't come here to just sit on one place waiting until a huge city runs out of food. This war has been going for too long already, and I believe that many of you would rather go home than waste time in this barren wasteland. Good luck to you, men, may the Ancients watch over you in this fight."

Danny turned around and walked off. Ukano followed him, while the officers of lower ranks started passing his orders.

"I'll get us inside the city," Phantom said to the general. "When I give a signal, open fire from everything you've got."

"Understood...sir, may I ask you a question?" Danny waved his hand and prodded him to continue. "Why didn't you tell them who you are?"

"You mean WHAT I am? Please, the rumors will tell them that by the end of this day. I doubt they will follow some teen who appeared out of blue. I may be the King of Ghosts, but my authority ends where the Fire Lord's begins. They serve him, not me, so I act on his behalf."

Phantom stepped forward and in front of the general. "Return to your duties."

Ukano bowed and returned to the troops.

Omashu sure looked unique. Multilevel city, which looked a lot like mountains around it. It was riddled with special lines used for passing messages and small cargos, Danny read about this in a scroll. It didn't have any gates, earthbenders raised and lowered part of the wall. That was the most complicated thing about the city.

But its position surely confused the ghost teen. Usually cities appear and grow on important tradeways or rivers. It was, again, a middle of nowhere. This city was built on a piece of rock, surrounded by seemingly endless pit, where you can throw everything, starting from unwelcomed visitors and ending with cabbages. This fortress wasn't even blocking path to any other important cities. Its capture was supposed to hold a symbolical meaning.

The soldiers took marching formation and moved after their new leader. After some time Phantom raised his hand, ordering them to stop.

"Continue to move on normal pace and wait until I get rid of the guards," he called, before turning to the general. "When you see my signal, charge as fast as you can, don't worry about the walls, just get there."

Ukano nodded and Danny dissappeared, much to everyone's shock. Danny, still invisible, floated on a wall and landed on it with a soft thud. He looked around and noticed several half asleep soldiers. They were leaning on their spears, with barely opened eyelids. Phantom approached one of them, before landing a hit on the soldier's weak spot, knocking him out.

Unfortunately, his comrade noticed it. The guard jumped in surprise, clutching his spear. Phantom was still invisible, so he only saw a result of the half-ghosts action.

"Who is there?" he called.

"Boo," he heard a whisper nearby.

Danny appeared right next to the soldier, before knocking him out as well. Phantom then took the two and they became invisible with him. The ghost teen carried the guards down the wall and put them inside a forgotten alleyway. If they remained on the walls, most likely they would have been killed. Danny didn't want to be a reason of that.

He needed to find earthbenders responsible for opening Omashu 'gates'. And by logical assumption, they should have been right above the only path inside. Phantom phased inside a small tower on top of the wall. There were two men in light green and golden robes, without any shoes to let them have contact with the element they utilized. Unlike their non-bending comrades, those soldiers were widely awake.

"Hey, I'm telling you, people say the Avatar destroyed the entire Fire Nation fleet," one of them said in excitement.

Phantom slowly approached the two, but he couldn't help but be interested in a topic of their conversation.

"I think it's an exaggeration. Maybe the Water Tribe played their part in it," another bender responded, earning a shrug from his comrade.

"Think whatever you want. Hopefully the war will end soon."

"Looks like there is one thing we all can agree with," they suddenly heard an unknown voice.

The guards turned around and faced a teen boy standing behind with an innocent expression on his face. However, it was his armor what caught their attention.

"Who are you, kid?"

"The Fire Nation saboteur," Danny said with the same innocent expression.

The soldiers immediately took battle stance. "How did you get in here?"

Phantom shrugged, crossing his hands. "I have my ways. Your city is not completely locked away from the outside world. So, are you going to open the gates for our army or not?"

Their eyes became wide as saucers, before they ran to the window to look closely. Indeed, they saw an army approaching.

"Now, I'm afraid, you are about to lose your precious city."

The guards hit the ground with their feet and small rocks flew in the air. They threw the projectiles at the ghost teen, but they simply flew through his body. Danny smirked.

"My turn," he grinned as his hand glowed with deathly green color.

Double green blasts erupted from his palms, but the earthbenders raised covers, fighting not only the ghost teen, but their surprise and confusion as well. When the walls went back into the ground, one of the soldiers was greeted by glowing green fist. He yelped in pain and stumbled back. Danny sidestepped another thrown rock and threw an ectoblast in response. It hit a metal chestplate, so the soldier was only pushed into the wall. Phantom raised his hand and the guards were surrounded by green glow, much to their fear. Suddenly, like if some invisible hand grabbed them, they were thrown under the ceiling and stuck right there.

Danny chuckled. "Can't bend without touching the ground, huh?"

"What the heck?!"

"I believe fighting otherworldly beings is not your speciality," Phantom murmured in amusement.

"Guards!" They yelled, but Danny only grinned.

"That's what I hoped for."

Immediately even more soldiers ran inside the tower. Phantom swung his palm and the earthbenders flew into the new arrivals, making them fall off their feet. Danny quickly retreated back to one of two doors to outside. He exited the tower, closed the door and his hand glowed with icy blue color. He fired the same colored beam, encasing the door under thick layer of ice. He heard how the guards tried to break through, unaware about the obstacle.

Grinning, Danny flew on the opposite side, freezing that door as well. When they started barging through that door as well, Phantom rolled on the ground and laughed loudly. Taking a deep breath, Danny got up on his feet. He wiped a tear from his eye and fired an ectoblast in the air. The blast flew high, before exploding. From his position, Ukano saw the signal. The general turned to the troops.

"Soldiers, move out, double time!" He called.

Division increased its pace and ran to the walls. At the same time, trebuchets and catapults saw the signal as well and ignited oiled wrappings on the rocks, before launching them from their positions.

Meanwhile, in the King's chambers, the ruler of Omashu was blissfully snoring on his rocky bed, with one hand hanging from it. Suddenly Captain Yung barged into the room, and the doors let out a thunderous sound, enough to wake up the old man. The captain had raven black hair and beard, and wore green robes with black armor plates, along with long edged green hat.

"Your Majesty, we are under attack!" He shouted, before the room shook from impact.

The King had messy white hair which looked like someone electrocuted the man and he didn't care to fix them. He had a few dark spots on his skin and very big bags under his eyes.

"Who would attack at such time? I haven't even had my breakfast," he grumbled quietly. "I'll be right there!"

Captain nodded and ran out of the room to join his troops. Bumi dressed himself in ridiculous green clothes and horned hat he came to like so much. He then hurriedly proceeded out of his palace, before meeting with the captain. He indeed saw a battle down there. Fire Nation soldiers were moving through the streets, higher and higher, approaching the top. A few fireballs flew past him and hit the walls.

"How did they get inside?" The King asked in confusion.

"I...I don't know, they just...went through it!" Yung exclaimed, completely exasperated.

Suddenly, something caught Bumi's eye. A boy with raven hair, who would have been unnoticed, if not for how he thought. Bumi saw how the boy's hand glowed blue and ice shards flew out of it. It buffled the old man, since when the Fire Nation recruited waterbenders? He then noticed that the boy couldn't hit any vital part. Couldn't or didn't want...

The boy also showed wonders of acrobatics, he was very fast, and the earthbending was too slow to get him. After jumping over another rock he pushed it to the ground in order to protect the allied soldiers. Then he fired beams of green energy, causing minor explosions. Not only him, but all the soldiers stared how he easily beated squads of soldiers. But Bumi noticed something. All fallen soldiers didn't have any fatal wounds.

"Your Highness, what shall we do?" Yung asked his king.

"I know what to do. Nothing!" The old man exclaimed, before starting to cackle, letting out a few snorts.

Danny kicked the nearest soldier, before blasting another one. When he saw even more of them approaching, Phantom swung his hand and ice spikes appeared right in front of them. It made them stop, and Danny was about to continue his offense, when he heard a cranky voice above.

"Hey, down there, we surrender!" The king shouted.

The fight slowly reduced in hearing range. No one could believe the guy's words. Danny turned to the nearest Fire Nation soldier.

"This is the King, I take it?"

"Yes, sir," he responded.

Danny hummed in thought and the soldiers looked at the commander in expectation. It could be a trap for all he knew. Phantom came up with an idea.

"Stand here and don't attack until provoked, am I clear?" Danny asked and received a nod. "Pass the message to the others."

Everyone then stared in shock and awe when Phantom got right next to the king in a few jumps from one roof to another.

"Well, well, aren't you a bit young to be put in charge?" Bumi asked with innocent smile.

Danny crossed his hands with a neutral expression. "Age is irrelevant for my kin. I can be a few thousand years for all you know."

"Your kin?"

"Ghosts," Danny's eyes glowed again. "I'm already dead, why shall I die from being old?" He shrugged. "I'm here to discuss the terms of your surrender."

Bumi rarely could be surprised, and now it was one of those moments. Yung was rather skeptical about the statement.

"Your Majesty, we can still fight, just let us!" He exclaimed.

"And cause even more deaths?" Phantom raised his eyebrow.

"This is a war, these people are ready to fight your armies and die," Yung stated proudly.

"They are not exactly my army. It was just the Fire Lord's request. I lead his army to victory here, he helps me, fair exchange."

"What could you possibly want with him?"

Danny narrowed his eyes. "This is my business. Anyways, you have my word that your soldiers will remain unharmed as long as they don't take any further hostile actions. Same goes for civilians."

"Your words mean nothing to me," Yung hissed, grabbing Phantom's collar.

"Since when YOU are the King of Omashu?" Danny asked calmly. "It is not for you to decide," he smiled innocently.

Bumi decided to intervene. He read about ghosts once, and they were known to be quite vengeful. He didn't want a good man to become a victim of this same vengeance. "Of course, lad. I agree to everything. Yung, please."

Shaking in rage, Yung still complied. 'This isn't over,' he thought.

Danny meanwhile kept smiling. Not much because of the Fire Nation victory, but because he was one step closer to his home.


	4. Chapter IV: A mess in Omashu

Phantom was proudly examining the results of his work. Drawing on aromor was an interesting free time activity he never thought he would do. While Omashu was being rebuilt after capture, Danny was customizing his suit. Leather parts were replaced by thin and soft tunic dyed in black color with white outlines. He made it extremely light by using thinner steel, since he preferred agility over strength. There were black chestplate with a white flaming 'DP' symbol on it and several others, protecting knees, elbows and other important parts.

Despite the fact that Danny was the one to lead and finish the assault, Ukano was appointed a governor. Not that the half ghost complained, he had other things to do, but the general seemed extremely content with his new post. Phantom was confident he had earned the man's respect and sympathy. Again, he was the governor because of him. Danny insisted that the message hawk needed to be sent immediately. If the Fire Lord received a message so soon, he sure would have been impressed. Ukano listened and did as was requested. Now, Danny just waited for response.

Once he finished, Phantom got up from his seat, leaving the set of armor on its stand. Until something interesting happens, he had to entertain himself somehow, so he went out of the room. The ghost teen was wearing his NASA hoodie and blue jeans, which had gone through fresh cleaning. What a joy - The King of Undead walking around in clothes smelling like mountain flowers. Hopefully it was just his sensitive sense of smell, and everyone around won't be able to feel it.

Phantom went outside and looked down at the city. In his opinion, constructing new buildings was a money waste, especially gigantic statue of the Fire Lord. After all, the war was still going on, and shall the Earth Kingdom retake Omashu, Danny doubted they would spare all those architectural 'marvels'. Suddenly, Danny heard someone behind him, so he looked back.

"Ah, governor, I thought you were sleeping," Phantom commented.

"Well, I'm not. My family is about to arrive, and I wanted to be awake to greet them."

"Oh, really? You didn't tell me about your family."

"This matter wasn't really brought up, Your Majesty."

Even despite Danny's request, Ukano and other officials still called him by title, not by name. Phantom had dealt with it by then.

"Sir, may I ask you about a favor?" The governor asked.

"Uhm, alright, what do you need?"

"Well, the resistance is still out there, and it worries me that their escort might not be enough. Surely a person of your power can protect them..."

Of course, just like on any conquered territory, not everyone just dropped their weapons and surrendered. The resistance was led by Captain Yung, and it was Danny's mistake to just let usual soldiers take him away. The man had escaped captivity by beating his escort, but Phantom followed a famous quote of a French king, 'Après nous, le déluge'. He didn't care what happens after he gets out of this city, so he had to keep order only until he leaves the city. He didn't root for the Fire Nation because of their ideology, but it was still his only hope on getting home, so his position was neutral at its best.

Danny shrugged. "Sure, I don't have anything to do anyway."

Ukano smiled, "Thank you. I think you can meet them at the gates."

The ghost nodded, before turning away and walking off to put on his armor. After doing so, he slowly walked down the rocky path. The night streets were empty, except for several patrols. Curfew was in effect, but it didn't concern the half ghost. And since everyone now knew who that strange kid in strange clothes was and tended to ignore him. Not that Danny liked all fear he was causing, but as Makiaveli said, fear is more useful than love. The second was hard to earn and required time Phantom lacked.

Soon Danny's hearing caught girlish screams. Raising his eyebrow, the ghost teen went to its source. What could possibly scare someone so much? Phantom entered another street and saw three teens standing near one of the walls, two boys and one girl, along with a strange animal - a mixture of lemur and bat. The girl, as well as the older boy were wearing dark blue robes and had tanned skin. The last kid was more unusual. He looked to be around thirteen, was bald, with blue arrow markings on his head and palms. The boy was wearing yellow robes with a short poncho-like orange cape, while holding a wooden staff. He was also giving him a strange chill down his throat, like if his ghost sense was being blocked.

Phantom leaned against the building behind them, before coughing slightly. This got an immediate reaction from them. The smaller kid hid behind the older ones before wrapping a clothing around his head. Weird.

"Soo," Danny started. "What are you doing out here after curfew?"

The older boy, who was covered in red dots, pointed an accusing finger at the ghost teen, who kept a neutral expression on his face. "And what are you doing so late on the street?" He asked.

Phantom's eyes flashed green for a moment, making the boy yelp and jump backwards.

"I'm the one asking questions here. And believe me, I have full rights to walk around this city," Phantom smirked. Danny glanced to the side, "Hello, officer."

Three soldiers walked closer, and the kids seemed nervous. However, soldiers were more scared at seeing the ghost.

"S-sir!" They stood still, as one of them stepped/was pushed forward.

"Who are those?" He asked.

Phantom looked at the stunned kids, humming in thought. "I don't know, I have just asked them. This one doesn't seem healthy, though."

The girl was the first one to speak. "Uhm, yes, it's pentapox. My brother is very ill."

Danny raised an eyebrow and approached the teen. Those dots seemed a bit paler than they were just a moment ago. "It's very infectious," the girl added.

"Oh, so that's why you hold him like a ragdoll," Phantom said sarcastically, before the girl let go of her brother abruptly.

"We need to get a doctor."

"Because the best time to find him is in a middle of night," Danny continued, not buying a single word. "You are coming with me."

"Sir, are you sure of that?"

"Is that questioning of my decision I hear?"

"N-no!"

"Good, now, return to your duties and move along."

The soldiers nodded and hurried to get behind the corner. Once they were out of sight, Danny sighed.

"Listen up, I'm going to let it slip for now. Get to your doctor or wherever you went and don't let anyone see you. But if I catch you again, I'll throw you down the pit personally, am I clear?" He asked as his eyes glowed again.

He received multiple nervous nods.

With that Phantom continued his way. For some reason, he suspected they hadn't just forgotten about curfew. Still, if Danny subdued the revolt publically, he would have added some points to his illusion of loyalty. Besides, he could make a punishment softer than it could be without him. While in the city, Phantom could boss everyone around, including decisions concerning executions. Until Azula arrives, if she ever does. The princess had the same level of authority.

In his thoughts Danny didn't notice how he got to the front gates. Since there weren't any earthbenders in their disposure, the governor ordered to demolish the wall and build the normal metal gates, along with hanging a huge banner above them. Once there, Danny informed the guards about recent development, and they came under his direct command. Soon, a carriage entered the gates and stopped. Phantom made a few steps forward.

Two females stepped out of the carriage. The first one was a mid aged woman, who Danny guessed was Ukano's wife. She was holding a baby boy in white shirt, who was largely awake. Next to her was a teen girl, with black hair tied in one of those Asian styles, with the most stony face Danny had ever seen. Phantom coughed to call their attention.

"Good evening, ma'am," he nodded in greeting, putting hands behind his back.

The woman smiled slightly. "Hello there, young man, who are you?"

"Call me Phantom, the governor has requested my presence here. I am to be your escort. Follow me."

"Can't we just get there inside the carriage?" The girl asked.

"Mai," the woman whispered angrily for her rudeness.

Danny turned around and looked at the girl. "Don't worry, who am I to stop young lady from being smashed by a rock?" He shrugged nonchalantly.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, but didn't argue. The escort consisted of several guards to the sides and behind, while Phantom walked in front. His eyes were glowing green to see better in surrounding darkness. No one saw neon dots from behind his back, however.

Mai sighed. "There are no words to describe my hate for this place," she mumbled.

Her mother looked at the girl, shifting a hold on cooing toddler. "Mai, your father was appointed a governor. You should be proud."

Danny rolled his eyes unknowingly to them. Ukano became a governor because one Ghost Prince was nearby.

"This place looks so dull. I bet nothing interesting seems to happen."

Phantom appeared near her immediately. "You do realize what you have just done?!" He whisper yelled.

"What?" She asked in genuine confusion.

Phantom looked around. "Because each time when someone says this, something nasty happens!" He blew up. "Like that pile of rocks falling down on us!"

His hand glowed green and he fired without even throughly looking. Green blast hit the rocks which were indeed falling down the hill. They blew up on contact, leaving a dust cloud. Phantom's eyes saw movements on the next level of the city. And precisely, that bald kid from before, who was staring back at him with wide eyes. Alright, Danny had given them a chance.

"Soldiers, stay on guard," he ordered, before seeing that Mai already ran after them.

As his palm slid over his face, Danny quickly followed. Instead of using the ladder, he jumped on the next level ten meters above. The kids started running, and Phantom started to pursuit them. The girl in blue robes threw a stream of water at him, revealing that she was a waterbender. Danny froze the water and jumped to the side from newly formed shards. She couldn't bend without water, and coating it in ectoice was a perfect way to get rid of it.

The girl stared in shock at that.

Mai caught up with the ghost teen and now they two ran after them. To Danny's surprise, she had seemingly endless amount of small blades down her sleeve, literally. Phantom kept firing ectoblasts, but the escapists kept avoiding the fire, besides, Danny wasn't aiming that precisely.

One of Mai's blades hit the bald boy's staff. Then he made a slash in the air, and a gust of wind hit a construction forest, crumbling it down on the pursuers. Phantom stopped, raised his hands and the debris was engulfed in green glow. Then he swiped his hands and the debris flew at the criminals. But then, a stone platform slid down, together with them.

"Damn it," Danny cursed.

Mai sighed. "Are you not going to follow?"

Phantom looked at her. "Not now, at least, we better return to your mother, I don't have any trust in that cannon meat. But," he grinned deviously. "I think we have found the Resistance hideout."

Meanwhile, the gaang landed on the underground, right on their butts. In front of them stood Yung, regarding them with a stern look.

"Greetings, Avatar," he bowed slightly. "It is an honor to meet you."

"Uhm, who are you?" Aang asked, jumping on his feet.

"Captain Yung, the leader of the Resistance. Please, follow me."

Without any other option, the kids followed the captain through the poorly lightened corridors.

"Who was that guy?" Sokka finally asked in exasperation. "What kind of bending was that?!"

"He prefers to be called 'Phantom'," Yung spat as if the name was poisoned. "He claims to be the 'Ghost King'."

Sokka snorted. "Seriously?! We have ghosts now?" He whined.

Yung sighed. "I wouldn't have believed it myself. But his power simply does not belong to this world. Have you seen his eyes? Deathly green, cold and dead."

"What kind of power?" Aang asked.

"Well, he can freeze water," Katara responded.

"And create ice from nothing," Yung added. "I don't know how he brought the entire army inside the city without leaving a scratch on the wall. His green beams depend on what he wants, to bring down a building or knock out the enemy. He also can move objects with look, he lifted people and enormous rocks like they were nothing but feathers. Our soldiers were thrown around like ragdolls, they were absolutely defenseless."

The kids' jaws dropped at the long list of powers this 'Ghost King' possessed. Yung ignored their looks as they entered the atrium. There were many people wearing their old armor. Some were recovering from their wounds. All of them looked up and saw their leader, along with the Avatar.

"The Fire Nation took us by surprise," Yung told him. "We were ready to defend our homes, our freedom by the cost of our lives. But when I asked King Bumi what to do, he said 'Nothing'. He surrendered, leaving us all to that ghoul's mercy."

Aang was silent at first, but then he found his words. "No, Bumi couldn't just give up."

"That's exactly what he has done. But we are not going to. We will continue to fight."

"Maybe he wanted you to live another day?" Aang reasoned. "What's the point of dying here when you can unite with the Earth Kingdom forces, fight together and free Omashu later?"

Yung contemplated the decision. "But how are we going to get through the patrols?"

"I have an idea."

On the next morning Danny woke up late. Thankfully, late for him meant normal time for the governor and his family. Phantom preferred to eat alone, so he just picked the food he could get there and now. He didn't need much after several months of pecking and eating what luck mercifully gave him. Just a few fruits and a bowl of what the locals called 'fireflakes'. They tasted like shit, but at least those flakes were more healthy. He was eating on a rooftop of the palace, enjoying the view on the city. Suddenly his eyes caught rather peculiar scene. He blinked in surprise, putting away the bowl. Phantom got up on his feet and stepped on the edge of the roof.

It looked like a scene from a horror movie. A crowd of slow people, and a big one at that, was moving towards the city gates. Narrowing his eyes, he saw red spots on their skin.

"Not again!" He exclaimed once he saw the guards running away and letting them through the gates. Oh, not on his watch.

Phantom phased through the roof and landed in his room. He quickly phased on his armor, taking off the clothes the same way and stormed out of his room. He threw open the last doors, which led to the front balcony. From there the entire city was like on a palm. Everyone present saw him, and they immediately wished they didn't.

"Ukano, what the hell is going on?!" Danny asked.

The governor broke into sweat. "I-it's Pentapox, Your Majesty. W-we can't let the infection spread further."

"Really? Let me show you what kind of infection is that," Phantom growled, before dissappearing from sight.

A few seconds later he already stood between the cowering guards and the approaching crowd. Yep, they sure looked like zombies.

"Alright, show is over, go back home and no one will get hurt," he threatened loudly.

They didn't listen and kept going forward and moaning.

"S-sir, they seem really ill!" One of the guards behind called.

Phantom's look became as cold as ice. "Oh, really? Doctor Phantom is about to give them a medicine."

One of the ill was really brave. He actually approached very closely, outstretching his hands and moaning. Suddenly he found himself lifted in the air with a hand gripping his neck.

"Do this again and I'll snap your wimpy neck in half," Phantom growled, before letting go.

The man fell on the ground and panted for air. People around seemed scared, accidentally letting go of facade. And Danny noticed that.

"My, my, boys, would you look at that!" Phantom grinned. "Looks like good enough scare heals the disease just fine."

The resistance members became pale.

"Hm," Danny hummed, tapping on his chin and putting another hand on his waist. "I wonder why so many people wanted to leave the city, unless...they have a reason to. Get them."

With no other option, those who could fight immediately attacked. It proved to be a mistake. A few minutes later the resistance members were lying on the ground unconscious, beaten by the Ghost King alone. Phantom looked up at Ukano through the entire city and saluted him. One of the soldiers approached the ghost teen once Danny called for him to come closer.

"Pursuit those who managed to get through. They can't be far away."

"Yes, sir, but what about them?" He pointed his spear at the downed bodies.

"Take these to the dungeons. Not a single hair must fall down their heads yet. If someone harms the prisoner, I'll do the same with him but five times more painful."

"R-right away, sir."

A few seconds later Phantom confronted the governor.

"You better hope your soldiers bring back the escapists, governor. I'll keep quiet about the accident, but I won't be able to cover up the results of your mistake."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Ukano sighed slightly.

Danny shrugged. "Don't mention it. I'm known to give second chances," he said and walked off. "Just don't fail again."

By the evening Phantom was ready to tear out his raven hair from his subordinates' uselessness. He didn't notice the audience he was having.

"Bad day?" Mai asked.

Danny snorted and got up from his seat. "You telling me. This soldiers are a useless cannon fodder. They can't even find a bunch of criminals!"

"Speaking of whom, father requests your help. My brother was kidnapped."

Phantom froze and looked at the teen girl. "How?"

"I don't know. Just go."

Danny's lips formed a thin line, but the ghost teen still went out of the room. He found the governor on the same balcony, near his crying wife. Phantom coughed in order to get attention. Ukano looked up.

"My Lord, thank goodness you are here. You probably know about what happened."

"That the guards failed to see a could-be assassin into your own room?" Danny's eyes fell on a crying mother and he sighed. "I'll search for him, got any ideas?"

After a moment of silence Ukano responded. "To offer them an exchange. We will give them the King," he said slowly, expecting Phantom's neutral expression to change to any side.

Danny tapped on the ground with his foot and hummed in thought. "While I can understand your desperation, this is a really hard bargain..." he saw crestfallen expressions. "But, fine, I'll bring them the message. We better be off without a powerful earthbender hanging above our heads."

"Oh, thank you," the governor's wife jumped from her seat and hugged him.

"And how are you going to find them?" Mai suddenly asked from behind him.

Danny grinned, stepping on a railing. "They have to warm near a campfire which can be seen from above."

He saluted and jumped down. A white flash and a quick streak of white was everything the family saw. Phantom flew out of the city and on top of one of the close mountains. He made a few calculations. Despite not being good at math, counting that should have been simple. With their average speed of two mph and approximate time of seven hours, they couldn't be further than fourteen miles away. Could be less, but not more.

So he started searching, flying from one mountain to another. Finally, Phantom noticed several dots of light in a very secluded area. Figures why no one could find them. Danny turned human and approached the camp, invisible. He saw the governor's son, what was his name? Tom-Tom? Something like that. The girl from before was busy playing with the toddler. Phantom lied on a rock and dropped invisibility.

"Am I interrupting anything?" He asked.

Everyone jumped in surprise and their heads snapped in direction of his voice. They prepared to fight if necessary.

"How did you find us?!" Yung asked.

Danny shrugged, getting into sitting position. "You are pretty easy to spot from up there."

"What do you mean?" Aang stretched his forehead.

"Hello, I'm one of the most powerful ghosts in existence, did you expect me not to be able to fly?"

Phantom jumped from the rock, ignoring stunned looks from an audience.

"How many soldiers with you?"

"None, I'm not here to fight," Danny raised his hands in surrender.

Everyone blinked in surprise, but didn't lower their guard.

Phantom's eyes fell on the toddler. "Kidnapping a child, how noble of you."

"We didn't do that, it was an accident!" Katara exclaimed.

"You accidentally stole a boy from his own room," Danny deadpanned. "Anyways, even despite the fact I can wipe you all out, the governor offered to ransom the kid. You give him the boy, we give you your wacky king. Simple as that."

The gaang looked at each other, but Yung's anger was evident.

"How do we know it is not a trap?"

Phantom's look remained neutral. "Look at your men. Ask them about their wounds and learn that none of them were inflicted after the battle. If I give a word, I keep it. However, the princess comes tomorrow and she has the authority to go against our agreement. So you better think quickly, because she most certainly will do that. Nasty brat, she is."

"You aren't much different," Yung spat.

"Captain, you hurt my core," Danny said dramatically, putting a hand on his chest. "I may be a walking dead, but I haven't lost my humanity. What bad thing have I done to you except beating you up? I haven't killed a single soldier of yours."

"You don't look...ghostly," Sokka noted, making Danny cross his hands.

"Well, sorry for covering up my true appearance. I am not in the mood to show it, so you'll have to deal with how I looked like before a very painful death from vaporization. Being hit by electricity equal to several lightings is not fun."

"Why are you helping the Fire Nation?" Katara asked.

Phantom shrugged. "It's mutually beneficial. The Fire Lord agreed to help me, and I help him in exchange."

"He will betray you."

Danny chuckled. "He won't be able to until I get what I want. It goes against his interests. Anyways, if you agree, meet near that ugly iron statue. Try to run, and I'll find you, burn down your transport and slaughter you all. My patience is very big, but it has own limits," his eyes fell on Aang, and the Ghost King gained a strange look.

"Hello, Raava, how nice to meet you in person," Phantom mumbled, but everyone heard it.

"Uhm, who are you talking with?" Aang asked confused.

"With a spirit inside your skull, kiddo. Where do you think you took all your unique magic, dear Avatar? If she gives you all her power, it will be an interesting show. I will be honored to fight one of the Ancients."

Phantom nodded and vanished in the air, leaving a confused crowd behind.

On the next morning Danny was leaning on the wall in a far corner of the room. It was an interesting sight, how a fourteen years old princess was bossing around. The second Azula arrived, she started doing her usual things. Along with her was another girl. She had long brown hair, tied in a brand and brown-gray eyes. Danny wondered how Azula could make friends at all, much less with a peppy and upbeat girl. Phantom didn't have much interaction with her, Ty Lee was too busy with her friend Mai. Talk about attraction of opposites.

"I apologize," Ukano said from his place, kneeling before the princess. "You come to Omashu at difficult time. At noon, we are making a trade with the resistance to get Tom-Tom back."

"Yes, yes," Azula interrupted from her throne. "I'm so sorry to hear that," she said in a tone which clearly told otherwise. "But really, what did you expect by just letting citizens leave?"

Ukano glanced at Phantom, who noticed his look and shrugged. Danny had told him he won't be able to cover up some things.

"My father has trusted you with this city, and you are making a mess of things!" The princess got up from his throne.

"Forgive me princess," Ukano kneeled even further.

"You stay here and let ME handle the hostage trade, so you don't have a chance to mess it up. And there is no Omashu, I'm renaming it in honor of my father, the city of New Ozai."

The pafos of her statement was broken by a snicker from the far corner of the room.

"Sorry!" Danny called.

"You are not coming with us for that," Azula snapped.

"Sure thing, princess," Danny shrugged nonchalantly. "Just don't break anything. The governor had spent a lot of effort in city's reconstruction."

The princess snorted and left the room, her two friends following behind. Once they were out of hearing range, Phantom sighed and shook his head.

"I can only picture this ending badly," he muttered, before deciding to go invisible anyway.

He flew to the meeting place, landing on a metal coffin hanging high in the air. It was a small prison for King Bumi. Only his head was sticking out to avoid suffocation and to be able to feed and give him food. Thankfully Danny was not the person to do that. Soon he could see the approaching opposite groups. Danny flew further as the coffin was being lowered.

"Hi, everybody!" Bumi greeted loudly.

"Have you brought my brother?" Mai asked.

"Yes, he is here," Aang responded from another end of the platform. Sokka was holding Tom-Tom with a piece of clothing on his chest.

Danny couldn't hear what Azula was whispering to her friend, but judging from the girl's expression, it was nothing pretty. Mai stepped foraward.

"The deal is off!" She said, and Bumi was pulled up again.

"See you later!" The king shouted.

Aang ran forward and jumped in the air, avoiding Azula's blue fire. The princess followed the boy by burning down the rope and using quickly unrolling mechanism to get up the construction forest. Mai and Ty Lee meanwhile engaged in combat with Katara and Sokka. Well, the last one was running away, not being able to fight with a toddler in his arms. Danny needed to get the boy before he could be harmed. Phantom jumped down and landed on the platform. He avoided throwing blades, ice shards and gusts of water. While Danny was running after Sokka, he tripped Katara on his way.

Ty Lee attempted to get Tom-Tom herself, but Katara managed to get up quickly and use the water to grab and swap again the acrobatic girl. Sokka ran to the ladder and slid down. And once he turned around, the teen saw Phantom standing in front of him with a grin.

"Hello there," Danny said.

Sokka attempted to run, but fell on the ground. He turned around not to fall on the boy, but still landed on his back. One small icy lump was enough for that. Sokka suddenly found an icy blade near his throat. Danny phased Tom-Tom out of Sokka's grip using his free hand, and looked at the teen.

"I only need the baby, so I'll pretend you managed to get away. And you better make it fast enough to make it believable."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want to defeat the Spirits' champion myself. So he better stay alive until then."

Sokka got up and was about to kick the half ghost, but was thrown down a few levels lower into a stack of hay with a flick of Danny's hand.

Phantom wasn't interested in finishing the fight. The girls' failure was going to increase his own reputation. After all, Azula had refused his assistance. Danny made himself and Tom-Tom invisible, much to confusion and amusement of the latter.

When Phantom returned, he handed the boy to his parents. To say they were happy would be an understatement. Soon later, the girls had returned, and of course, Danny was there to greet them.

"Had fun?" He asked teasingly.

Azula glared at the teen. "You will leave the city and follow me."

Danny grinned even wider. "Aww, you need me, I'm touched."

"You better run," the princess' hands set on fire.

Phantom had a lot of fun afterwards.


	5. Chapter V: A pursuit

**A.N. I've seen comments about Danny being OOC. But, guys, keep in mind that he had to blend in among the bad guys, besides...**

Danny scratched the back of his neck in thought, while chewing on the wooden edge of the brush. It was hard to make a full-blown replica of the portal when he didn't have a throughout knowledge of the technology. No, he had an understanding of the ecto-engineering, but he was basically creating the gateway from scratch. And that was only one of the issues which didn't let him get home by now, there were many others, which led to several sleepless nights. The never ending chase after the Avatar for a few weeks by then didn't give him any additional hours of rest.

The raven haired teen was snapped out of his observations when he heard the door opening. Danny briefly glanced up and saw that the Princess and her friends had returned from whatever they were doing outside.

"Back already?" He asked.

"This pathetic little town has no entertainment at all," Azula grumbled, sitting on the nearest chair and rubbing her forehead.

"There are different kinds of entertainment," Danny noted.

"Says the one who sits over the list of paper all day."

Danny didn't respond, continuing to scribe something.

"Whatcha doing?" Ty Lee leaned over Danny's shoulder to look at his work. It was so sudden that the teen jumped in surprise and clenched his paper list, earning multiple laughs. The ghost teen blushed brightly with green color and turned away. He put his belongings on the table and continued to scribe something.

"What are these knots?" Ty Lee asked the next question.

Phantom sighed. "Each machine is composed of details. And each detail needs its own blueprint. And these 'knots' are letters of my language. It's a real headache trying to write small notes with a brush. I need a pen. Or pencil at least."

The girls only looked at him in confusion. "Nevermind that. Since this world is foreign, first I have to understand the frequency for the portal. It's like precisely calculating the place where the trebuchet's projectile should fall. Same here, to pierce the fabric of reality I need to know where to do it...I need a different hobby."

"It is a weird hobby," Mai deadpanned.

"My parents were earning money that way. And my father's side did this for generations. So, by seizing the throne I kind of broken the family tradition. Before that I was taught enough. Thank the Ancients that this world is advanced enough to let me construct it. I could be summoned in medieval era, or worse."

Suddenly an idea occured in Danny's mind. He walked over to the chimney and took an iron poker. The teen took out a small piece of burnt off coal.

"The brush may be useful for drawing, but I have to make notes and calculations," he said, putting the piece on the paper. "I need some rest, and please don't burn my blueprints. AGAIN."

"Depends on my mood, servant," Azula smirked, putting hands behind her head.

"I'm not your servant, I thought we got over it," Danny complained with a groan.

"I'm not going to change the nickname, though," the princess smiled sweetly.

Phantom shook his head and sighed. It was pointless to argue with her. The ghost teen exited the house.

"You know what, he is actually really cute," Ty Lee commented, earning not amused look from her friends.

"Ty Lee, need I remind you that he is a walking corpse?" Azula deadpanned.

The acrobat shrugged.

The house they wasn't really big, but, because the princess wanted the best, the house was rather luxurious. The small town they were staying in was taken over one day ago. Their group had joined the forces with the squad of Fire Nation troops and broke the resistance quickly enough. Since no big battles were anywhere in sight, he didn't have to fly across the continent to fight there. After a few citizens were interrogated, they learnt where the Avatar went. Why didn't they move further? The War Minister had sent a message about the new machine which was about to arrive in their disposal.

Until then, they stayed and waited. Danny appreciated the short break, unlike Azula. What he did not appreciate, were constant fearful glances from the citizens and even some soldiers. There was a little he could do about it, Danny just wanted to get home sooner. Phantom passed the open ground and was greeted by an unusual sight. The Fire Nation soldiers were burning down the corpses of their own comrades. One of the officers kept giving the commands.

"What's going on?" Phantom asked curiously, making the officer jump in fright and put a hand over his heart.

"Sir...please, don't do that again," the officer panted and regained his composure. "We are burning down the dead. Their ash shall be put in jars and sent to their families."

"It is a cremation, then, should have expected that," Danny mumbled, wrinkling his nose. The smell of rotting and burning flesh was rather nasty, especially for his senses.

Something caught his eye. "I didn't know there were so many victims."

"It's just you attacked from the other side, while we got from the forest. And they were waiting for us, put the booby traps and everything."

"It takes time to put the traps and hide."

"Yes, sir. We suspect there is a traitor within our ranks."

"Is that so? And who are those unlucky who are you suspecting?"

"There is Jang, no one had seen him ever since we attacked. He always was a shifty fellow."

"I see. And what about the enemies' corpses?" Danny asked suddenly.

"Uhm, we leave them there."

Phantom narrowed his eyes. "After you finish with our soldiers, dig the graves and put the locals' dead there."

"Why should we..."

Danny's ice blue orbs turned neon green. "Because they are dead, and deserve to be treated equally. They too have families who will grieve about them. Do you respect the dead? You are talking with one, after all."

"Yes, sir," the officer stood straight. "It shall be done."

"Are there any prisoners?"

"Well, yes, a few, about ten of them."

"Treat the captives nicely, understood?"

"I doubt our enemies share your point of view," the officer mumbled.

"So?" Danny raised his eyebrow. "That makes us better than them, right?"

He walked off to give commands, while Danny sighed and rubbed his forehead. He was probably too harsh. So much time living almost on a street, struggling for his afterlife got a toll on him. And his newest occupation had taken a lot of him as well, but at least he always had a warm food and a soft bed. He could have a relax sometimes, without fearing that Gits in White would bang his doors and barge into his apartment. Maybe as the time would go he wouldn't be so dense all the time, even if he had to act as the 'bad guy' would from time to time.

Danny actually suspected that all of this was planned by Clockwork all the way back. The Old Man told him that he was going to take the crown after coming of age. But he never came for help when Phantom needed it most. Of course, power and money corrupt, taking all of that by a snap of the fingers could affect many people, maybe even him. Sounds narcissistic, but still. Danny had to struggle for survival with a little to none money. How could the King, who had lived in poverty, ignore the poor? And by being in that world and taking command from time to time should have learned how to lead the armies. If it was indeed that meddling Time Master, Danny was going to face a lot during his reign. And the teen wasn't eager for that.

In his thoughts Phantom didn't notice how he made a circle and returned to the house. Danny took off the ground and landed on the balcony of the second floor. He looked at the so unfamiliar night sky, leaning forward against the railing. His observations were stopped when Phantom heard the wooden slide doors open behind him.

"Ah, it's you," Azula grumbled, wiping her eyes.

"No, I'm a fairy god mother," Danny said quietly, without turning back.

The princess rollled her golden eyes and sat on a bench nearby.

"Sorry for bothering you," Phantom apologized. "You can go to sleep."

"With you right outside?" Azula asked sarcastically. "Not a chance."

Danny looked at her. "Right outside?"

"This is a balcony to my room," the princess deadpanned.

"Oh," Danny pouted in embarrassment. "Do you think I am some kind of pervert or what?"

Azula shrugged, leaning back on her seat. "I don't. Actually, I don't know what to think about you at all."

Phantom raised his eyebrow, and the princess was kind enough to explain. "I try to find out your motives. What's your gain in this cooperation?"

"Hm...I don't know. I was bored, maybe."

The princess snorted. "Hurting people for fun? Please, don't try to fool me. You haven't killed a single person, despite the threats. Not to mention all the other small things. You are too much of a softy, there must be something else."

Danny sighed, at least he won't have to act harshly in front of her. He had to think up something, though. "Well, I hope that the Fire Nation returns the favor. My world didn't have a King for millennia, and the swift victorious war is the best way to secure my authority. But making a big enough army of my own will take time. The time I may not have."

Azula looked at him calculatively, before letting out a yawn. "My father doesn't care what you do as long as you bring us victories. But letting your enemies live may backfire on you one day."

"I disagree. Everyone must have a second chance, and some will even appreciate the mercy. Because who knows, one day the tables can turn. I won't test my luck, because it is known to be rather nasty."

"Even more reasons to kill them."

A silence settled between them. Danny was once again buffled by how bloodthirsty the princess was. He wasn't planning on leaving soon, but if Azula ordered directly, he would have to go. That damn hiearchy was so confusing, the Fire Nation didn't have allies before. His position was really shifty, even if they were considered equal on nonexistent papers. Danny didn't complain, he never actually cared as long as he was being helped out in exchange.

"What's so interesting that you stare out there for so long?" Azula suddenly asked.

"The stars," Danny responded with a small smile. "They are fascinating. It's somewhat philosophical, you know? Maybe some of them are already dead, and we don't even know about it. They are so small from here, but if you get close enough, they are as big as the sun or even bigger. Perspective, you know?"

"What do you mean 'dead'?"

Danny smiled. It was something from his father, when someone was interested, he was more than excited to tell something. "Stars have a lifespan, too. Of course, it lasts for millions of years, but still. When they are out of their fuel - hydrogen, they start to expand and at the same time cool down. If the star is big enough, in the end it blows up and can even form a black hole. And if it is close, you may see a second sun on your sky for some time. I wonder how it will affect your bending."

"And how do you know that?"

"We call this science an Astronomy. It's been my passion since I was a little kid. I read journals and books about the first artificial satellite, the first man on the Moon, the space race, the daily life of International Space Station. For now we observe, but there is a plan of colonizing the closest more or less habitable planet."

Azula yawned. "Then get on the roof, you'll be more close to the objects of your dreams. We depart in the morning, and you better be wide awake."

With that she left the balcony and closed the door, leaving a bit insulted ghost teen alone. It was rude, but he wasn't much surprised. A bit crestfallen, yes, but not surprised. Azula was right, though, he better not to stay up all night. He will have time to stargaze later. Danny walked through the several walls, got to his room, took off the clothes and flopped on his bed, where he fell asleep quickly. Just another day in another world.

His sleep was peaceful, deep and short. It's a sacred gift to be able to sleep through enormous noise, and, much to his dismay, Danny wasn't granted with it. He woke up because of rumbling noise, like if there was an entire tank parade outside, even if on the considerable distance. He groaned into his pillow and slowly got up into sitting position. The teen ran a hand through his raven hair and took on his hoodie and jeans, nice and clean. He was the first one to get up, apparently, Danny didn't see anyone.

It was a cold morning, the sun had already risen a bit above the ground. Danny was glad the weather was like this, he may not need the hoodie in the cold weather, but it was a reason of discomfort in the hot one. Phantom stretched his muscles and took a deep breath, still hearing the rumble, which became louder. Suddenly it stopped. The ghost raised his eyebrow, and a few seconds later the Fire Nation soldier ran to him, panting. The soldier stood straight at his sight. Apparently, the rumors about the Ghost King travel faster than the half ghost himself.

"Sir, the Tank-train has arrived in your disposal!" He barked.

Danny blinked. "A what?"

"The machine the War Minister sent. It's behind that tree line, we are awaiting for you and the princess. Until then, please, read the message of the Minister," the soldier handed Danny a tube with the message, bowed and ran away.

Phantom blinked. Well, that was quick. Suddenly the tube was snatched out of his hand. Danny's head snapped to the left and he saw Azula reading an unrolled message. He didn't say anything, waiting for her to finish. Soon the princess handed the message back.

"Pack the belongings, servant, and be quick," she turned and walked away.

"It's not like I have a lot of stuff," Danny mumbled to no one.

He walked to the living room, rolled his blueprints into a scroll and stuffed them into a special metal tube, before putting a coal in his pocket. Danny flopped on a sofa and started to wait for the girls to pack their things. It was taking too long, and Danny heard grunts in one of the rooms. He walked over there and saw that Azula and Mai were looking down at Ty Lee, who was trying to close the luggage, but only scattered the things around.

"Why did you even bring all of this?" Mai asked in her monotonous voice as the ball rolled nearby.

"Why not?" Ty Lee asked in response. "I took them for practice."

The ball suddenly flew up in the air and right into Danny's palm. Only now they noticed his presence.

"I take it we are not coming anytime soon?" He asked sarcastically.

"Unless Ty Lee decides to abandon this stuff," Azula grumbled. "Common, I'll get you much better ones."

"No, thanks, Azula, but I need mine."

Danny wondered how the three girls were able to become friends in the first place. Sighing, the teen walked to the suitcase. He put the things there, closed it as much as he could, before hitting the top with his elbow. Then it was easy to lock it.

"Next time, please use several cases," he commented, fixing the blueprints' tube on his shoulder. "Let's go now."

The group went out of the house, glancing at the cases floating a few inches above the ground. Phantom wasn't going to carry them by himself. Soon they went to the selected place of meeting. When they got to the spot, Danny raised his eyebrow. The Tank-train lived up to its name, it was a several meters tall monstrosity, which looked like its purpose was to ram every wall on its way. He could understand why it was called a tank, and it was probably called a train because of the wagon behind, probably for living quarters. Danny stared at that thing, not sure what to think. He suddenly felt a nudge on his side. Azula was smirking at him.

"What, you don't have this things at your world?" She asked.

"No, we don't. Because a target of such size is easy to hit. We used armored trains ever since the American Civil War, but the growing power of artillery and aviation made them less and less effective over time."

Azula's smug expression dissappeared behind a scowl. The group then entered the machine, guarded by several soldiers, who followed them inside. And it looked rather comfy, similar in its eastern design to the other Fire Nation decorations. Danny dropped the cases near one of the walls and flopped on a sofa.

"So, princess, what's our next step?" He asked, putting hands behind his head. Everyone gave him a deadpan look. "Chasing the Avatar, of course," Danny rolled his ice blue eyes. "And here I hoped to rest on a seashore."

And so, with a thunderous ramble, the machine took off to the North-East. Danny mentally thanked the designer of the place that he was smart enough to make the living quarters soundproof. He was also impressed by its speed, which was as fast as a usual steam train. It was strange for a vehicle of this size to be so quick. However, without any certain direction, their way was very unclear. By the evening there wasn't a single trace of the Avatar's little group. Pissed off princess ordered to stop, before coming out of the transport. She needed some fresh air.

Danny was nearby, sitting on a fallen tree, while the girls tried to think up what to do. The ghost teen looked around in boredom, not interested in Azula's plan of action. He was going to follow no matter the choice. Suddenly something caught his eye. A strand of white hair on a grass. It was probably nothing, but there was an entire trail ahead, one chunk here, another several meters ahead. Danny sniffed the fur and the smell was oddly familiar. Where did he feel it before...His eyes widened in realization.

"Hey, princess," Danny called, causing all the girls to look at him. "That animal the avatar rode...are there any others?"

Azula snorted. "No, this is the only one now. What are you implying?"

Phantom got up and approached them. "During the short encounter before you arrived to Omashu, I saw that creature, and you don't need a heightened smell to feel that this strand smells the same," he showed the strand to her.

The princess looked thoughtful.

"It must be..." Ty Lee started, but couldn't find a proper word.

"Molting," Mai finished.

"Molting! Yes, molting!" The cheerful girl hugged her friend happily.

"Looks like we found a trail," Azula smirked.

"You wanted to say that I did it, right?" Danny asked innocently.

Azula shrugged. "Whatever."

The trip was going on till the sun set. They kept going forward, stopping from time to time to find the strands of fur. Somewhere about ten pm Danny saw the spot on a distance, looking through the front window. He was in a driver's room, while the others were sleeping, except for this same drivers and soldiers. He narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin. Of course they would have noticed the infernal machine following them. But that's alright, he supposed. The Avatar and his buddies were the ones being chased, and their bison couldn't fly forever. Every living being needed to have rest.

"Keep following that thing in the sky," Phantom ordered and received multiple nods.

The teen then walked to get some sleep. The flying bison was surprisingly fast, it got ahead and soon the driver lost the trace of them. But the way soon continued once one of the soldiers came outside and found the trail again. And so it continued for a few hours. Danny woke up after yet another stop, each of them was rather shaky, so it wasn't something unheard of. A few minutes later the teen got to the driving room. He received a report that they got to the mountainous territory, and that their team would have to use mongoose lizards. It was when Danny realized the reason of constant noises in the back side of the vehicle. He went to wake up the girls, not daring to do more than just knock at the doors of their rooms.

Funnily, they all looked out of the rooms at the same moment.

"What is it?" Azula asked in annoyance, rubbing her eyes.

"I have the good news and the bad news. First, we found the Avatar and he is a few miles away. The bad news - we have to leave our comfy place in favor of riding animals. So, pack up, or we may lose them again."

His companions didn't complain and dissappeared behind the sliding doors. A few minutes later they were ready to go, so they went. To say that Danny wasn't eager to sit on the creatures in front of him would be an understatement. He had to guess what to expect when he heard 'mongoose lizards'. That's exactly what they were - the reptiles were a cross between two species, with dark scales and bright yellow eyes, about fifteen feet long. Danny's shoulders sank as he looked at the nearest lizard.

"I couldn't get a horse," He muttered, before the creature huffed into his face.

"Oh, quit whining!" Azula said, sitting in a saddle. "I had enough of it already."

"Whining? I'd like to see how you try to drive a bike. I'm not sitting on it."

"You can fly," Mai noted.

"Yeah, two hundred miles per hour...I get what you mean."

After pressing a few buttons the doors slid open. The girls didn't wait for him and their animals jumped out of the transport. Danny jumped down from the wagon and fixed his hoodie. He gave a glance on the night sky, before following the rest of the group, thankfully, they didn't run off yet. In front of them was a serpentine road, and on top he could see the familiar bison. Azula and her friends ran forward, leaving Danny covered in dust. He phased it off and turned invisible.

Then Phantom jumped in the air and flew forward. He was surprised that the Avatar's team got a new addition. Some ten years old girl in the Earth Kingdom clothes and a very round raven haircut. Oh, and she was an earthbender, too. The girl tried to hold off the enemies, while the rest of the group tried to pile up on the bison. Danny became visible and stepped on the ground. To his surprise, the girl didn't look at him and just threw a rock at him. Phantom turned intangible, the rock flew through him and he charged an ectoblast.

"Toph, get down!" Aang exclaimed.

Phantom was about to fire a knockout blast, when a gust of air threw him a few meters away. Danny yelped and fell on his butt.

"Not fun!" Danny shouted, jumping back on his feet. But by then Toph was already aboard and the bison was flying away.

Azula appeared out of nowhere and fired a lighting, but it missed because of the air maneuver. She cursed slightly under her nose as Danny came closer.

"This game of tag is getting boring," he commented.

They returned to the transport. Going back to sleep was not an option, thankfully it was just an early morning. Danny found an entertainment quickly, he just kept working on his blueprints. The others were getting bored out of their minds. The sun was already in the sky, and they didn't stop.

"Hm, poor fellows," Danny said, looking out of the window, but didn't see the bison anywhere. "They must have spent the entire night awake."

"Better for us," Ty Lee commented cheerfully.

"Now I know how that ghosts felt when they disrupted my sleep each night. You learn something every day."

Suddenly the machine stopped abruptly. It wasn't unusual, the drivers must have lost the trail again. But this time it took maybe too long. Then the soldier ran inside the room, shaking slightly.

"Your Highness, we have lost the track. There isn't any hair."

"Oh, so they found out how we keep finding them," Danny said with sarcastic enthusiasm.

Azula stormed out of the machine, and the others had no choice but to follow. The place was nice, if not for the giant machine which ruined the view, it would have been also peaceful. Trees, a small river going nearby, the scene only lacked the birds, which were scared off by the transport. Azula kneeled near the river and scooped white hair, which weren't carried away by the stream. Danny meanwhile looked around and saw the strands again. They were leading in a certain direction. He put a hand on his chin in thought.

Weird. How could there be a hair trail if they had washed the bison? It could only be a trap.

"They really think we are fools," Azula growled, appearing out of nowhere. "Ty Lee, Mai, follow this trail. Take the lizards."

The girls nodded and did as they were told. Phantom meanwhile raised his eyebrow.

"What about me, princess?" He pouted. "I wanna have some job too."

"You can watch the Train," she waved her hand and turned around.

Danny suddenly appeared in front of her. "I didn't ask to be summoned, you know? Why did you need to do this if you don't want me to take any part in this?"

Azula's lips thinned in thought about what to say. "This trick was obviously made by the Avatar himself. And it is my destiny to bring his head to my father. "

"Harsh," Phantom said slowly. "Even so, underestimating your enemy is the most fatal mistake someone can make. We won't tell anyone I helped."

"Oh, and what makes you an expert?" The princess asked sarcastically.

"Pariah lost only because of this. And...there was someone even worse, he lost because of the same reason."

Azula stared at him with an unreadable expression, before sighing tiredly. She was in no mood for arguing. "Fine, you may come with me. But don't do anything funny."

"Do my jokes count?"

The princess groaned and went off to the riding lizard. As she climbed up, Danny was already near her.

"I'll be flying nearby. Most probably invisible," he said.

Azula just nodded silently, before swinging the reins and riding away. As he said, Phantom turned invisible and followed her. The trip was continuous, and being under burning sun was not something Danny bargained for. And he was wearing a hoodie, let the author remind you. They spent some time riding through the desert, which looked quite unusual, considering that a few minutes ago they were in a lush forest. Phantom shrugged invisibly as the thought crossed his mind. That world was weird, why shall he be surprised?

Soon they got to the village in a middle of nowhere. It was abandoned, in half destroyed condition. Considering the questionable position of the settlement, no wonder its denizens had left it. Azula dismounted the riding lizard and Danny softly landed on the ground, turning visible. In the other end of the central street was Aang, sitting in a meditation position.

"Jeez, that guy sure looks like Morpheus kicked him out a lot," Phantom commented quietly, taking off the hood and looking at the Avatar's bags under the eyes.

Azula didn't understand the otherwordly joke, so she just kept staring at her much desired prey.

"Alright, who are you and what do you want?" Aang asked.

Danny guessed that the question was adressed to his companion. Azula realized it as well.

"Oh, you mean you haven't guessed?" She asked in response. "Don't you see a family resemblance?" The princess put a hand over the left part of her face. "I must find the Avatar to restore my honor," she said in a deeper parodying voice.

Aang didn't react.

"That's alright, you can laugh. It's funny."

A quiet laughter followed. Danny's. Everyone looked at the half ghost, who immediately regained his composure.

"What, you yourself said we can laugh."

Azula rolled her eyes before looking back at the Avatar.

"Are you not going to run anymore?"

"No, I'm not," Aang said, taking a battle stance.

"Do you really want to fight me?"

"Us."

"Me."

"Yes, I really do," another voice sounded.

Some guy jumped off the strange animal which ran from behind one of the corners. He was wearing light robes and the hay hat, which he threw away. The most notable feature was a really nasty red burn on the left part of his face. The teen took a battle stance.

"Back off Azula, he is mine!" He said.

"I was wondering when you will show up, Zuzu."

Danny and Aang choked back the laughter. "Zuzu?" Aang asked.

"Is that your brother by any chance?" Phantom asked.

"Yes, much to my dismay," Azula responded.

"And who are you, her boyfriend?" Zuko snapped.

Danny's grin fell. His and Azula's expressions were ready to burn him already. Didn't help the image either. It was silent afterwards, like in a wild west standoff. All they lacked was a clocktower, which should hit the minute and signal to shoot. Four teens exchanged glances, waiting for the first attack. Understanding that Azula will be pissed if he attacks the Avatar, Danny decided to target her brother. Suddenly the princess fired, pun intended. Phantom immediately charged a beam and shot it as well. Everything went just as the half ghost had predicted.

Zuko sidestepped the green ray, and it hit the building behind. He sent fire blasts at the approaching enemy, but Danny made a shield in front of him, which protected him completely. Once Phantom was close enough, he pushed Zuko backwards, before throwing several punches. The younger teen managed to block several ones, and even land a hit on Danny's jaw. Phantom yelped in pain and fixed it. His eyes flashed green, but he still had to defend himself against the fire blasts by summoning the shield again. From behind his cover Danny used telekinesis to throw a rock into the firebender, getting the much needed distraction.

But when he looked out of the cover, Zuko was running after Aang again. With a deadpan expression Danny made a wall in front of the prince, making Zuko bump into it.

"Going somewhere, Two face?" Phantom asked, before his hand glowed green again.

His opponent clearly understood that there was no other way but to fight him. Zuko sent several blasts of fire while coming up the outer staircase of one of the buildings. Danny jumped high in the air and got to the roof in a split second. He then fired an ectoblast, but Zuko deflected it by sending a gust of fire to intercept it. The same action was repeated several times, before Phantom got bored. Danny dissappeared from the view, much to the prince's confusion. Suddenly he got kicked in the back and fell.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Watch your back."

"Can you keep your mouth shut?!" Zuko exclaimed, before sending a powerful torrent of fire.

"Nope," Danny's voice sounded from behind him.

The firebender managed to intercept the punch this time. But as they stood in a mid action position, in one swift motion Danny grabbed the opponent's hand, and Zuko noticed that Danny's free hand glowed again as an innocent grin appeared on the halfa's face. He didn't even have time to curse, neither he could get out of the deathly grip before being sent flying backwards and off the roof. Thankfully Zuko landed on the wooden debris, still better than a rock which was a few feet away. Moaning in pain, the teen managed to get into sitting position, but then noticed that Phantom jumped off the roof and landed on the ground in front of him in no time.

"That has got to hurt," Danny stated the obvious. "Hopefully it was nothing of importance."

"Get away from him."

Phantom glanced back and saw a small old man with long grayed hair and brown eyes. He seemed harmless, but judging from a professional battle stance, the look was quite deceiving. Danny raised his hands slightly, not showing any intention to attack.

"Relax, his self esteem seems to be hurt enough," Zuko moaned as he attempted to stand. "And his body too."

"Who the heck are you?" The exiled prince asked.

Phantom smirked, before taking a theatrical pose of a nobleman as his eyes glowed. "I am Phantom - The King of Ghosts and Spirits alike. Although the latter are yet to join the party," he muttered in the end.

The old man's eyes widened in shock. "Then what are you doing here?" He asked.

Danny shrugged. "I was summoned. And cooperating with the Fire Nation is quite beneficial."

"But shouldn't you help the Avatar?"

"Nah, I don't really care about balance nowadays. It backfired one day, and repeating the same mistake twice is really not my thing. Anyways, I'll leave you two together, because, apparently, I need to help one bratty princess," he pointed towards the familiar flying bison stationed on a distance. "Ta!" He saluted.

Phantom flew up on the roof again in order to take a look around. And it seemed that Azula got cornered. Even she wasn't able to fight three benders and one guy with a boomerang. He turned invisible and flew forward.

"Alright, you got me, a princess surrenders with honor," the princess raised her hands.

She felt a slight tap on her back. Azula smirked internally, before eyeing four enemies in front of her. Suddenly the princess fired, making everyone defend themselves. In a created mess, Danny grabbed Azula and phased her through the wall, making them both invisible. Needless to say that the gaang was confused. Phantom and the princess got in a secure place, before the latter pulled her hand out of his harshly. She said nothing about that, however.

Very soon, they were already on their way back, after sneaking away and getting back on a lizard. Danny was flying nearby, this time visible.

"Why did you want to leave instead of fighting?"

"They got us outnumbered," Azula responded grumpily.

Phantom smirked. "Oh, really? Or maybe your pride was hurt?" He asked teasingly.

"Don't push it," she growled.

"Hey, relax, princess, I'm not gonna tell anyone if you won't. So...what's that with your brother?"

"You mean why he is so pathetic?"

"Uhm, no, what has he done to be called a traitor? And who is that old man near him?"

Azula's head snapped in his direction. "Uncle was there, too?" She asked before looking away again. "Should have known. Zuzu doesn't go anywhere without his babysitter."

"Jeez, you sure have a nice family."

Azula said nothing, internally understanding that his statement meant her as well.


	6. Chapter VI: Getting into Ba Sing Se

"Let me get this straight, there is a city, which has hundreds miles long wall," Danny said.

"That's to put it bluntly," Azula shrugged nonchalantly. "I thought you read about Ba Sing Se."

"Well, I've been busy. Making the portal, fighting in a war, besides there wasn't a word about how long exactly it was. Maybe I was reading without the proper attention..."

"I got it, I got it."

"Damn, that thing can give the Great Chinese wall a run for its money," Danny said, clearly impressed. "No wonder you have failed."

Azula glared at the half ghost, who shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, if anything, I'm sweetening the loss."

The main point of their conversation was the failed attempt to break through the Ba Sing Se wall. Danny had been summoned to subdue one of the revolts to the Fire Nation occupation, because his movement speed was vital. Phantom was eager to avoid the attempt of the city's conquest. He somehow suspected that the siege was going to fail, and it looked like his assumption was correct. He never lost so far, failed, yes, but never lost. It gave a certain impression of the Ghost King being an invaluable asset. Still, a giant drill?

"You guys could really use the gunpowder," Danny commented. "Just blowing the wall up is much simpler."

"Oh, and you can make it?" The princess deadpanned.

"One, no I cannot, I got a C- on chemistry. Broke all beakers. Two, giving the powder which can blow up the building because of one small spark to the people who throw fire around...not the best idea, I admit. Anyways, you do have a plan, don't you?"

"You know me too well, servant," Azula smirked. "Ty Lee, show him."

The acrobat grinned, before taking a pack of green kimonos from under the table. Danny raised his eyebrow, but the brown haired girl kindly explained the situation.

"Well, while you were away, we caught a bunch of Kyoshi Warriors. We put on their clothes, get into the city and do...stuff."

"And what happened with them?"

"Oh, don't worry, bundle of softness," Azula nudged the half ghost. "They are alive...although they got the first class trip to the prison. Not going to give any promises."

Phantom crossed his hands. "And where is a place in this place for me?"

"Well, we got a spare one," Ty Lee said innocently, showing another kimono.

Danny's horrified expression made all three girls laugh with a different intensity. Phantom snapped out of his stupor and rubbed his face.

"I think I'll just stick around being invisible," he deadpanned.

Danny then went to the table, before sitting on the chair and opening a seemingly old scroll. That was what caught Azula's attention.

"Where did you get this thing?" She asked.

Phantom chuckled, putting hands behind his head. "Well, that's quite a story."

-Flashback-

"Untie me, you foolish ghost!"

Danny was sitting on a chair, slightly tilted backwards, with his legs on the table. He looked up from the scroll and smirked, his now neon eyes gleaming in mirth.

"I had been considering this, right until you called me a fool, birdie."

He was talking to a spirit, which looked like an enormous black and white barn owl. During his travel from one corner of the Earth Kingdom to another, Danny made a stop for a short time, he had to eat and sleep, and it was kind of complicated under the burning sun of Si Wong Desert. During the stay at one of the villages Phantom overheard the conversation of the locals, who didn't have a clue about who he was. And after learning about the Spirit Library Danny decided to use the opportunity to find the required knowledge to make a portal.

It was hard, he couldn't deny this. If Phantom hadn't had the ghost sense, it would have been utterly impossible. The library was buried almost a mile beneath the sand dunes. The owner of the place, Wan Shi Tong wasn't very welcoming, and even though he was confused about how the heck Danny had managed to get into his library, the spirit was more than willing to kill the trespasser. Too sad that Wan Shi Tong underestimated his enemy, and the Ghost King was too powerful for him, despite the size, four times smaller than the spirit. That's what got the library owner into the position he was now in, bound by ectoplasmic goo.

At Danny's words Wan Shi Tong tried to get out again, but wasn't able to. Phantom calmly looked at the list of paper. There was a description of the worlds connection. Some fox like creature had brought it to Danny, receiving a meat treat in return. The ghost was gathering all the information he could find, including the one concerning the weakest joints. Those were located at the Poles, which complicated the matters. The Northerners weren't exactly friendly to Phantom's patrons, in the South was only a bunch of villages. That could do.

"Hey, don't be such a scrooge. I'm merely looking, what's the purpose of the library if no one can read here?" Danny asked.

"You are going to use this information for power. Just like everyone else."

"I beg your pardon?"

"That Fire Nation commander killed Tui, using the information found here. Then there was the Avatar and his friends."

Danny perked up and looked at the owl. "They were here?"

"A short while ago. But I'm not telling you anything. I no longer want to do anything with this war."

Phantom shrugged. "Have it your way."

Suddenly a man came from behind the corner, more like stumbling. He was wearing a gray robe, along with damaged wheat hat. He looked mid aged, with brown hair and eyes. The second he saw Danny, he lunged forward, almost making the half ghost punch him out of reflex.

"Water!" He begged in a hoarse voice.

Returning back to his senses, Danny took his flask and gave it to the man. He snatched it and emptied in a matter of seconds, taking large gulps. After this the man sighed, putting the flask on the wooden table. Finally he took a look at his savior. Even though Danny's ghost form was enough to make him wary, the man didn't run off screaming bloody murder.

"Uhm, thanks...who are you?"

Danny leaned back, smirking. "I can ask the same question. I'm merely the guest. The unwelcomed one, as you can see."

The man looked to where he was pointing and saw the spirit being tied up. His expression became that of horror and awe.

"Well?" Danny asked innocently.

"I-I am Professor Zei, the head of the Anthropology Department at Ba Sing Se University."

Zei couldn't help but add a note of pride into his voice.

Danny grinned. "Danny Phantom, the King of Ghosts."

"You...you mean spi..."

"We have NOTHING to do with his filthy kind!" Wa Shi Tong spat.

"As you can see, there are some race issues in our shared world," Phantom commented, without a single sign of offense.

"Aren't you too young to be a king?"

"Nah, I can be a few thousand years old, maybe I can't. I remain the same as in the moment of my death. But I'm just learning in this library. What are you doing here? This isn't exactly the tourist attraction."

"I've come here together with the Avatar and his friends. When the library was going under the ground, I chose to remain here, with this vast amount of knowledge."

"And without water," Phantom deadpanned. "As I said, the owner of this place is a scrooge."

"This is a small price to pay."

"Fine, I'll let you do your nerdy things. Hey, Tong, how about you supply the guy with water and food? He is not doing anything bad."

"Yes, I will, after I claw your eyes out!"

"Glad we came to agreement. So, what exactly brought the Avatar here?"

Zei sat on the chair, suddenly feeling more confident near the King of the Dead. "Well," he said slowly. "I brought him and his group of friends here. They helped me get in."

"And what did you find?"

"Oh, it's such an amazing place, I've learned so many secrets of our history, all answers are here. Too sad I can't come back to share them."

"Well, you have signed up for this. People must bare the consequences of their decisions, no matter how right they thought they were."

"Yes, I know, and I'm ready. I'm glad the Avatar found something useful, too."

"Really? And what was it?" Danny tilted his head.

"The main weakness of the Fire Nation - the Day of the Black Sun."

-Flashback ends-

"The Day of the Black Sun?" Ty Lee tilted her head. "What is it?"

"The darkest day in Fire Nation history," Azula said dryly. "The moon will close the sun and all fire benders will be powerless. When is it going to happen?"

"Zei said that it is going to happen on the first day of August," Danny answered. "Poor fellow, he didn't suspect that I'm not on his country's side. But I fail to see how useful the eclipse can be. They last for seven minutes. And that's maximum, plus minus one minute. If you prepare properly, nothing is going to happen."

"August?"

"The eighth month. Named in our world after Emperor Octavian. Anyways, I think you should send the letter to the Fire Lord, princess."

"You are not ordering me around."

"And what are you going to do then?"

"Write the letter," Azula grumbled and walked out of the room.

The set off to get inside the city. While Phantom was invisibly floating above their heads, three girls were walking in the Kyoshi warriors' outfits. They didn't have the unsuspicious way of getting through the Outer wall, so walking under burning sun was the only option. They only had umbrellas. Danny was the most affected, but he was invisible, so no one noticed his discomfort. Not that something would've been done otherwise.

If Phantom had previously thought that Omashu wall was huge, Ba Sing Se made it look like a garden fence of the ants' aphid farm. Only by bending Earth something like this could be managed. It was relatively easy to get through, however, maybe too easy, the guards didn't suspect a thing. Moreover, after receiving the message, they accommodated the newcomers to meet the Earth King personally. Kyoshi warriors had been invited to the court to be his bodyguards. The murderous princess of the opposing side guarding the enemy leader, the victory was this close.

But just killing the enemy leader wasn't enough, that was obvious for everyone. So, it wasn't a part of the plan, at least for the time being. They were going to spy over the unsuspecting monarch, destroying the main opponent from within. Slowly, but effectively.

The improvised railroad, which used earth ending as well, was quite fast. Ba Sing Se wasn't just an enormous city. It was a huge agglomeration, consisting of thousands square kilometers of different fields, where all sorts of agricultural products were grown. Villages, towns and the central part of the city were separated by even more walls. Strict secularism, the rich and the poor couldn't even meet, separated by the huge stone structure. Quite thoughtful, the rich wouldn't be pestered by old shacks in their view, the poor wouldn't be jealous if they don't see the palaces. No revolts, everything is safe and sound.

Danny was sitting cross legged on a wooden bench, in seclusion from the girls. Invisible, of course, so as not to be noticed by the four guards accompanying them. The train passed the lower class' living place, middle class, until they got to the Upper ring, stopped and went to the platform, accompanied by the same guards. They got in front of the huge palace, which reminded Danny about that picture of the Forbidden City. There already was a man in the green outfit with glasses over his nose. Since he was sitting on the throne, it was the Earth King. The man smiled down at them, while Danny curiously examined his guards' armament and clothes on a close distance.

"Greetings, Kyoshi warriors!" He said jovially. "You come to us in our hour of need. Dai Li have betrayed me, so I put my hopes in you."

"We live to serve you, Your Majesty," Azula said as they kneeled in front of him.

"Wish I had a dictaphone with me," Danny whispered on her ear. Azula kept smiling for the sake of the cover, but her annoyance was growing.

"You may start with your duties tomorrow, as soon as you settle in your prepared living place. You can go now."

The guards led the group to their quarters. The second they went off and the door closed, Danny materialized on the sofa, with hands behind his head.

"I'd say that it's a rather neat place," he commented. "Although I still miss my posters."

Azula rolled her eyes and sat on a chair. "Can at least make yourself useful. Go scout this 'neat place'. Tell me if there is anything interesting."

"But I've just come here," Danny pouted.

"Off. You. Go."

Phantom sighed and phased through the sofa and the floor. Muttering something about being sweaty after the trip, Azula went to the bathroom. Her friends understood that it was going to last for a pretty long time, so they made themselves comfortable. Mai calmly looked around the room, while Ty Lee lied nearby. The sofa was really soft.

"You know what?" The acrobat looked at her friend. "I think they will make a nice couple."

Mai looked at her non amused. "You can't be serious. They are arguing each time they even speak to each other."

"Soo?" Ty Lee tilted her head. "They also have a lot in common. Both are royalties, both are really powerful, both...eh...have black hair?"

"I say what I see. And they 'dislike' each other, Azula for sure. And Phantom doesn't seem to care at all."

"This is why they need a push!" Ty Lee jumped into sitting position, with a grin on her face.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Mai grumbled.

Danny meanwhile walked through the Palace, whistling under his nose quietly. So far he had seen many places: the throne room, the shrine forbidden to anyone but royal family, there was even a special house where the king took his tea. Danny would have taken some, but there weren't any tea packets, and he didn't know how to make it otherwise. There was also a dungeon under the palace, but it was to be expected. Phantom even found some caverns beneath. He had wondered how deep the dungeons went and he got his answer.

There was an entire underground city, with a lot of bright crystals sticking from the ground and the ceiling. The city was uninhabited, and that ghost town gave Phantom chills. Breaking himself a piece of the crystal for further examination, Danny set off. He walked through the empty streets, tossing the crystal in his arms.

The city was composed primarily out of rock houses; some of them were merely excavated out of the wall while others were built against the wall. All of the houses that remained in the old city appeared to be very crude in design: one large hole served as an entrance and one or more smaller holes functioned as windows. There was no sign of other decoration. Gloomy and ugly, to say it bluntly. Many stairs led up from the paved floor to the numerous houses that were built into the wall.

A river ran through the center of the large cave that probably served as the city's main plaza. The riverbed was shaped into neat channels in order to provide water to all corners of the large cave. The water itself made its way into the underground cave through a waterfall at one end. But Danny understood that he had to return soon. He would visit this place later.

He soon returned to the living floor, taking notice of the pieces of art around.

"Hm, do I get my own castle?" Danny mumbled in thought. He was a king, after all. He wasn't sure about the living arrangements, he had been homeless for so long, and no one ever cared to leave him a note.

Nevertheless, if he gets a castle, he would arrange something pretty and artistic in his place. Last time he visited the king's keep, it was a dark, gloomy place, filled with dust and rusty traps. But he was getting ahead of the train, he needed to get to the Ghost Zone first. Once Ba Sing Se breaks, he was going to dedicate himself completely to his target. On the other hand...with the ended war the Fire Lord was unlikely to assist. Besides, Danny wasn't that eager for the obvious tyrant's victory. He was going to think something up later.

Phantom almost got lost, but luckily he had a good memory. He phased through the wall without even looking. But later he understood that he missed for a few meters, instead entering the room next to theirs. It was a bathroom with a huge bath. And it was currently occupied by Azula. And she just had to step out. Danny meanwhile accidentally saw more than he should have. Completely frozen, Phantom completely forgot to turn invisible. The princess had wrapped the towel around her waist and hair, and once she looked in the mirror, she saw an intruder. Danny understood that he was screwed.

Second later the bathroom wooden-paper wall was broken as Phantom was blasted through it. Danny extinguished the small flames on his hoodie and saw the raging princess in the doorway, her palm burning with azure flame.

"I'm going to KILL you, filthy pervert!" She yelled, throwing another gust of flames.

Phantom rolled away and jumped on his feet. "I'm sorry, it was an accident!" He shouted, ducking away from another shot. Understanding that it was pointless trying to convince her, Danny tried to get out, and Azula chased him through the apartment.

Mai And Ty Lee meanwhile stared at the scene, not eager to intervene into their usual spat.

"I think that this is a proof enough," Mai said dryly.

"Well, I don't know," Ty Lee responded longingly. "He DID peak on HER."

"I didn't!" Danny exclaimed.


	7. Chapter VII: A fruitful day

Danny took a deep sigh, being on the edge of the roof of one of many upper ring houses. People rarely looked up, and even a glowing teenager was not going to call any attention. He was in his ghost form, and the night wind was blowing into his face, scattering around his already messy snowy locks. Phantom just lied there, his hands behind his head. Ah, star sky, so unique and always so unusual, no matter how many times he looked there. Especially in that new, unusual world he found himself in, and he would never get tired of telling himself that.

Yes, the lack of many technological advantages surely was a problem, but nothing Phantom couldn't manage. He was not Tucker. At that thought Danny let a sad chuckle. He really missed his best friend. But Phantom knew better than anyone where the grief could lead. He had to move forward, and all the time out on the streets he was doing just that. When you struggle, there is little time for pondering about things gone by. Now, all the memories were starting to resurface. Shaking his head, Danny rose to his legs. The teen had an idea how to distract himself.

"Back to work, I guess."

He jumped off the roof and took off into the sky. The city was huge. There's got to be some mugging to be prevented. It was a nice change from beating the people, the good guys in his book. The criminals could be a nice reliever, making him still feel like a person he was supposed to be, not a pretentious brat. The best place for that would be the lower ring - a place full of slums, filth and poverty. Danny was sure that none would recognize him. Not many actually got to see him in person around there, much less his ghost form, in which he was going to operate.

Buildings in the Lower Ring were generally small, because the Lower Ring housed the majority of the populace and many people needed to be crammed into the space available. The roofs of most buildings in the ring were brown tiled, indicating the poor status of the owners. Phantom kept going around, searching for anything out of place. It wasn't that late, he didn't have anything to do during the day and could sleep a lot, so he could do that for a long while.

Finally, the teen heard a scream. A signal for his ears. People weren't around, they knew better than to go out at night. That meant that he was going to intervene. Peaking from above the roof, he saw a casual attack. Well, better than nothing, you cannot expect each lowlife to be an Al Capone level criminal. At least he wasn't alone, it could be more interesting.

"Alright, girl, hand over everything you've got," one of them said.

"I don't have anything! None of us has!" The teenage girl responded, although seemingly afraid.

"You know, she got a point."

The bandits spun around, Danny was hanging upside down in the air, grinning widely. Seeing the reaction, Phantom laughed.

"Oh, gets me every time. If only I got a nickel each time I heard this same phrase."

"Wh-who are you?"

"Hm...what do I look like?" Danny made a thinking face and flipped into normal position. "Ah, yes, like the one who is going to kick your sorry butts."

A knife went through him. Phantom made a deadpan expression, looking at his attacker.

"I-it's a spirit!" One of the bandits exclaimed.

"And here I thought that the glow made it rather clear. So..."

The bandits ran off, screaming bloody murder. Danny sighed, stretching his muscles.

"Well, that was easy. You alright?" He looked at the girl, putting a white gloved hand on his hip.

"Y-yes. Thank you. Who are you?" She asked.

"I'm afraid that's something you cannot know, young lady. Oh, well, got to go. Don't come out at night. I might not be there next time."

Danny had a feeling that he was going to be big news by the next morning. News would spread fast, and with multiple witnesses no one was going to doubt that. But it still felt nice seeing a thankful smile. He was doing nothing bad, and Danny doubted someone would have the guts to try and arrest him. Phantom disappeared, only to continue his nightly adventure.

He stopped a few more crimes, before the occasional guards could even notice that something was going on. Were they confused? Yes. Were they worthless? Very much so. Nevertheless, it was time for him to go to sleep. He knew perfectly well that he would be unable to help everyone, those were not spontaneous ghost attacks, they were tendencious assaults. And in a large city like Ba Sing Se his efforts were like a grain of sand on a beach. But at least that grain was shiny, maybe later it would spook the criminals so they would never try anything again.

Phantom woke up somewhere closer to the noon, luckily no one was checking up on his room. Otherwise it would be a disaster. His skills of waking up at the tiniest whisper were both a blessing and a curse, they surely came in handy. Danny stretched his muscles and winced. Damn, that burn Azula had left was still there. The girl surely could hold a grudge. It was his fault, so he had no reason to be mad at her, if only offended by such treatment. Still, it was nothing compared to what other ghosts had done to him.

Danny knew that he had free days, except for the occasions where he had to be elsewhere, fighting the resistance. But since it was a stalemate at the moment, he had no work to do either. Everyone just waited until the princess and her friends did the job. Speaking of which, they must have been away 'protecting' the Earth king. Poor fellow, Danny actually pitied that innocent looking guy. He was in a very bad position.

Getting up from the bed, Danny quickly put on his clothes - green short robes, just not to stand out if he wanted to come outside. Yet again, he was a little known figure. Azula didn't know about this, because obviously she wanted him to stay put, so as not to antagonize the situation. But Phantom was pretty confident in his hiding abilities. He had been doing so for quite a while, and it was when his face was actually known to every agent.

The half ghost had money, so he could actually go and enjoy some local cuisine for breakfast. At the thought Danny's stomach grumbled. He chuckled, looking at the table, full of the lists with scrabbles only he could understand. The portal was nearing its completion, on papers at least. If what he had gathered from the different sources was correct. There were just a few minor additions to be added. And just as a pleasant addition, there was something else, something he was going to create to assure that the Fire Lord would not change his mind out of his arrogance.

Phantom turned invisible and phased through the walls, deciding to take a walk around the city. Just as expected, no one paid attention to him, as Danny strolled down the stone path, humming under his nose. The middle ring was much nicer than the lower, but not nearly as good as the upper. Moving between them was time consuming, but flying could do wonders. But the biggest entertainment, besides ogling at the architecture, was listening to the conversations. Not the most honest doing, but curious none the less.

Mostly, however, they were about daily lives - housekeeping, family matters, the need to buy cabbages or some other stuff Danny wasn't interested in. Finally he found a decent restaurant, settling on a soft chair. The service was operative, but Phantom found his knowledge of the dishes to be quite scarce. The Fire Nation just brought the stuff and he ate it. And asking for explanation was weird, everyone around probably knew what those were. Danny decided to take 'Jook' and a cup of tea. Luckily, that thing turned out to be a very nourishing rice porridge.

As Phantom was taking a sip of his hot drink, his ears caught something.

"I'm telling you, it was a spirit!" A male voice sounded. "I saw him with my own eyes."

Danny smirked, unknowingly to them. Now that was a topic he wanted to hear about.

"You hadn't drunk before it, had you?"

"I'm serious! Lung saw him, too. He looked like a boy, he was doing some green spirit magic!"

Phantom rolled his eyes. There was nothing magical about his powers, it was pure science. Maybe there was an arcane reason for benders, but he wasn't that inclined to learn that. His parents would have loved to, though, even if it wasn't their scientific field. It was more of their mindset, inquisitive and curious. Sometimes maybe too much for his liking. Danny finally finished his breakfast, all the while listening to that fellow and his disbelieving friend. It would take a while for the people to believe. Questionable opportunity, but Phantom got a taste of it. Maybe the locals would be more thankful, after all their relation to spirits was mostly that of respect in most places.

Danny went out of the building after paying for his food. He wondered about what to do next. A true curse having money and have nothing to spend them on. At the thought he couldn't help but snort. Just a month ago he would have killed for such situation. Phantom saw the sun being below the zenith, thinking that he should return to the chambers, as his companions would soon return. Finding an empty alley, Danny went in and flew away invisible. Phantom used the monorail to get there quicker, jumping on a roof, not having a ticket.

It was quicker, and here he was again, in his rooms. Danny heard some noise out of his chamber, guessing that the girls had come back. Phantom felt the smell of the food. Azula and her friends were just eating. He peaked from the ceiling and dropped invisibility.

"Hello there," he grinned.

Involuntary they all jumped in surprise, before seeing him above. Azula glared at him, while Mai just rolled her eyes and Ty Lee giggled.

"You have nothing else to do, I take it?" The princess asked dryly.

"Nope."

Phantom slowly descended to the ground and softly stepped on the ground.

"Where have you been?" Ty Lee asked, tilting her head. "You weren't in your room when I checked."

"Walking. The city is quite nice, but maybe that's because I spent a while in Detroit and didn't get a lot of sightseeing before now. Omashu didn't give much opportunity."

"You what?" Azula asked, getting up. "I told you to stay here!" She hissed.

"Relax, princess, no one is going to know about my little walk. It's not like I met the Avatar out there or something."

They knew that the kid and his friends were in the city as well, and the increased level of caution should have been taken. And Danny obviously wasn't following it. Instead he went straight against Azula's direct orders, pissing her off. But there was little each of them could do. The King needed cooperation from the Fire Nation, the princess was tasked with keeping him close. Deep inside Azula couldn't understand why he was taking everything so easily. Maybe he didn't feel anything at all, or maybe he was patient as hell.

They just looked at each other, neither showed the signs of backing down, as they both were aware of their relations and lack of ability to do anything.

"As enlightening as this story may be, I have a task for you which already should have started," the princess finally said, breaking the tense atmosphere.

"And what exactly?"

"Simple. Turn invisible, spy on the Council of Five. I need to know what they are doing. Even you should manage."

"Sure, Your Highness, as long as you say the magic word," Danny grinned.

Azula looked at him, before understanding that he really wasn't going to move an inch. She sighed.

"Please," she said without a note of sincerity.

And Phantom understood that he wasn't going to get anything more.

"Okay then, where exactly is this meeting held?"

"Won't miss it," Mai explained, going on with her food. "It's located to the left from the palace, about two miles."

"Ah, you mean that one with the statues? I have been there before."

Danny jumped on his feet and saluted, before disappearing and flying through the wall. He didn't wait before departure. Meanwhile the princess went straight to his room, fixing that ridiculous green dress. That made her companions curious.

"What are you doing, Azula?" Ty Lee asked.

"I want to know with what he had been busying himself with."

"You don't trust him?" Mai raised her eyebrow. "He's loyal from what I've seen."

"Yeah, if he is so calm about you burning him, and other things, yet he still stays," The acrobat noted with a strange smile. Mai groaned, the girl couldn't let go of her stupid idea.

"Too calm, and that's exactly what is strange," Azula crossed her hands. "He may be taking everything just to remain here. To spy."

"You are being paranoid," Mai responded in a bored tone. "Just because he is...more cheerful now...doesn't mean he is a traitor."

"Won't harm to make sure."

The princess slid open the door to the room. It was messy, since the servants never came there, and Danny wasn't the cleanest person. Azula immediately drifted to the table, rummaging through the lists of parchment. It annoyed her greatly that she couldn't make out a single word of the strange language, she could only see the drawings and blueprints, although the material was far from being blue. She was unable to understand chemical formulas or calculations, not because of lack of intelligence, all because of different letters and symbols. Mai and Ty Lee looked into the room as well, before Azula groaned.

"It will take a while," she said, rubbing her temples.

"Oh, what's this?" Ty Lee asked, pointing at a small list.

The princess glanced at it. Her golden eyes widened, as there were hieroglyphs so familiar to her. Azula picked it up and her look darkened.

"Girls, let's go now. I'll talk to him later about this 'meeting'."

She tossed it back on the table and stormed out of the room. The anger radiated off her, so much that the princess didn't utter a single word afterwards. Mai looked at her other friend and saw a sly grin. At this her own eyes widened in shock.

"You couldn't..."

"It was simpler than I thought it would be," the acrobat said, knowing that Azula was outside of the hearing range.

"It's not going to end well."

Danny landed on the roof of the Council chambers. The place didn't have any privacy whatsoever, the room had a panoramic view on the city, Phantom could sneak in and without invisibility. It was filled with Earth Kingdom's esthetic - banners and such. An enormous map of the world sat in the center of the chamber, with a curved conference table at the top where the five Council members were convening to discuss war strategies. Small, clay figurines that represent Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation forces were positioned on the map to keep track of ongoing operations or to plan future campaigns.

Phantom looked at the people present. Five generals, none of which Danny had known about, were sitting at the table. In front of them was that girl from the avatar's team...Katara was her name if he remembered correctly. There was also that lemur thing jumping around.

"The fleets of the Fire Nation are patrolling northern and southern passes. It will be complicated to pass through them, so we have chosen the best route."

The guy in charge, with long beard, dressed in green armor and cape moved his palm and the Fire Nation figures moved across the map. Danny landed on one of the supporting beams right above, they were quite wide for that purpose.

"The distance is shorter if we launch an attack from General Sung's base."

The figures kept moving.

"We will be able to muster the forces and attack in two months, by the day of the black sun."

Danny rolled his eyes. It's like those guys had zero understanding of how the universe worked. Did they really expect to conquer the entire country in less than ten minutes? It was utterly ridiculous, the second the sun returned to the sky they would be thrown back into the ocean. By his humble calculations, the eclipse was not any different from the one in his home-world.

"The distraction will be enough to call off the enemy fleet and clear the path."

The lemur thing jumped at the figure and started chewing it.

"Or we could send Momo," Katara laughed, but no one joined in. She quickly got silent.

"Our plan only needs the King's seal. Carry it to..."

Suddenly Momo hissed. Danny jumped, praying that he wasn't the reason of such reaction. But it was unlikely, judging from the lemur's green eyes staring directly at him. And that in turn made everyone look up as well. It was luck, Danny was invisible at the moment. Phantom decided that it was time to leave, the meeting wasn't even anything of value. They just stated the obvious thing, although the distraction was something interesting. Suddenly Momo leaped in the air, right at him.

Phantom had no time to react at first, and it made him trip over, despite the light weight Momo managed to do so thanks to surprise and surprising strength. Luckily, he managed to keep invisibility, becoming intangible and getting out of the grip and floating mere inches above the ground. If he fell and made a noise, all would have been lost. Taking a shaky breath, Danny phased through the ground. There he was safer.

Momo hissed again and flew back to Katara, who didn't know what to do. Maybe Aang knew the reason.

"What's wrong, boy?" Katara asked quietly, petting the lemur.

"Anyways, as I was saying, get the scroll to His Majesty."

Danny made a 'phew' and wiped his forehead. That was damn close. A note for the future - do not approach that thing. It obviously could smell him. Hopefully no suspicions would arise, the lemurs couldn't speak, after all. But Phantom wouldn't be surprised if they could, that world was a place where egg laying bears existed. Sighing, he looked around. It was a usual lair of some nameless bureaucrat, who was absent at the moment. Danny decided to get away from that wretched building. It was good to be a ghost. There weren't any further problems.

It was an interesting day, he had to admit. Back and forward, back and forward he went, but it was far from being over. Phantom returned to his room, immediately noticing that the mess on his table was different from the one he had made. He was worried at first, afraid that something had been stolen. But no, everything was at place, he had a good memory for such things. Then he noticed a list of paper which hadn't been there before. Immediately as he scooped it in his hand the hieroglyphs were replaced in his mind by normal english letters.

'Meet me at the Lianhua square at midnight.'

Danny raised his eyebrow. Now that was something he hadn't expected at all. Phantom stuffed the thing in his pocket, being in two minds. He pondered on the possibilities of who it could be, unaware that the one who had left it had a room not so far from his. After some time Danny stopped thinking about that strange note, simply deciding to follow into the supposed trap. It should be interesting. He immediately set off in that direction, deciding to wait there, or at least close to it. His oh-so-important report could wait.

The sun set. All that time Danny spent reading a book he had got from one merchant. It was interesting, and yet enlightening on the connection with the Spirit World, or the Ghost Zone as the King preferred to call it. Phantom's mind drifted off to the distant possibility of him finally taking the throne. There were so many problems, and there was no telling how the spirits were going to react to the emergence of the new monarch not of their kin. Danny didn't want such responsibility, but what choice did he have? To live on the streets again?

He should not have pretended to be willing to put the Avatar's head on a stake. He was overplaying. But what's done is done, maybe things were going to change, but he wasn't going to betray the Fire Nation. Danny was going to use their help, and honorably help in return till the end of agreement. Until the right moment. Until he had his powerful army by his side to back his claims.

Phantom put aside the tome and got up. Seeing the moon high in the sky, Danny guessed it was the best time to go. The ghost walked down the road. If in the lower parts of the city the people were afraid to come out, here the folk couldn't be bothered with being on the street at night. The square wasn't big, but it sure looked pretty. The fountain looked like a big lotus, and it was still working, along with streetlights. The steady trickle of the water in a surrounding silence created a peaceful atmosphere. Danny sighed and leaned back, sitting on the edge of the fountain. Suddenly he heard a noise. Phantom popped open his eye and looked at its direction, before vanishing.

In a few seconds he got to that place, pinning to the wall the cloaked figure standing there. It attempted to get out.

"Release me, you idiot!" Azula snapped.

"Hello..." Danny greeted slowly, releasing her. "Were you so eager to hear my report that you have decided to track me down?"

"Don't play idiot with me," the princess glared at him. "The letter on your table was informative enough."

"Not for me...wait a second, have you rummaged through my things?"

"And you so eagerly accepted the offer?"

"Jesus, do you realize how jealous you sound? It's like you are a cheated girlfriend. I don't know who wrote that thing. Was that some sort of check of yours?"

"What?!" Azula hissed, but the reddened face ruined everything. How did he manage to embarrass and anger her at the same time?

Danny got up, still calm, even if still confused. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Look, let's take a breath, calm down and talk everything over, okay?"

"I'm not going to buy it, you are pulling time. Until your friends arrive?"

"Even if so, it was unwise to come here alone. Or are the others hiding somewhere? We can find out the author if we simply wait. It's a trap, obviously, but at least we walked into it together."

He sounded very convincing, Azula admitted. Maybe it was because of how calm he was about the predicament.

She didn't have time to say anything, however, when the exit from the alleyway was blocked by two men. The teens looked surprised, before hearing shuffle behind them. Now both ways were blocked. The people were dressed in black robes, with wide hats. The insignia on their chests told about their bosses enough. Those were Earth Kingdom folk.

"Dai Li," Azula muttered. "Now of all times," she complained quietly, taking the battle stance.

"Do we need to fight them at...full power?" Danny asked, and the princess understood what he was implying as the Dai Li approached and the teens stood back to back. Yes, showing the bending and the unearthly powers was a giveaway.

"You should come with us," one of them said.

"You know, a postcard would have been enough," Phantom responded sarcastically.

"What for?" Azula asked. "There isn't any curfew."

They received no response. Instead they just nodded to each other, which was never a good sign. Danny heard the rumble beneath them, before pushing his companion aside, jumping away as well. They tried to engulf them in rocks, so as to capture them. Danny logically guessed that he needed to be as far away from the ground as possible. Danny jumped on the nearest crate and then leaped away from it, armed with the occasionally lying bottle, landing a strike at one of the earthbenders, who didn't expect such thing at all.

Azula quickly regained her composure, swinging her leg and flipping over another one. She rolled away from the rock, looking at the one who launched it. He was immediately stopped by his comrade.

"Idiot! We need her alive!" He said.

It caused the princess to grin evilly. Oh, so they were willing to succumb. Azula leaped forward, swiftly dodging the strikes of the foolish opponents. In a split second she seized one of them, holding a glass shard in her hand, near his throat.

Danny heard the phrase too, all the while holding the Dai Li agent in a headlock. He perked up and looked from the poor human who tried to get out, but what used to be a bottle in his hands were making it hard. The other was under his leg, knocked out by a strong kick.

"You can just tell us," he offered weakly.

"Before we have to get it out of you," Azula finished, putting the shard closer to the throat.

As much as she would have preferred to fry them, it was unwise. Too much noise could call the attention of the guards, and the Dai Li had another role in her plans, not becoming a barbecue. The agents looked at each other again. The display surely got them off guard.

"Fine. We received orders from Long Feng to arrange a meeting between you two."

"Now, it wasn't so hard, was it?" Azula smiled. Yes, everything was working out just fine. "We will go. Servant, let these two go."

"Sorry, I don't see any servants of yours around," Danny smirked.

"Phantom. Enough," the princess's answer was curt, but the ghost was satisfied.

Phantom released the panting agent, who immediately got on his feet and backed off. Out of Danny's dislike for such shady organizations, his eyes flashed green for a moment, scaring the agent even further. A satisfied grin climbed up his face.

The path was long. Unbearably so. There were so many twists and turns in the wide corridors, hidden behind stone walls which could be opened with the earthbending only. Both teens noticed that now the Dai Li tried to maintain distance from them. It was rather amusing to see. The place was dark and cramped, those were prisons and dungeons, they were supposed to feel that way. But the general atmosphere made Danny sigh.

"Hm, I feel rather homey."

"In prison?" Azula snorted.

"In a place full of darkness and green light. That's basically the definition of my domain. You get used to it after a while," Danny put hands behind his back.

"Not sure if I ever want to go there," the princess responded dryly.

"Oh, and here I wanted to offer you a cup of tea in my castle. It's better than most places. Although we'll need to remove the skeletons," Phantom rubbed his chin. "And a thousand of death traps. Don't know who put them there."

Azula smirked. "Make sure not to step into one once you get there. We need you to uphold the deal."

"And here I thought you cared about me," Danny pouted. "You are cruel, princess."

"Maybe. But you are useful. And I value usefulness a lot."

He wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not. But she did sound A BIT softer. And a smile on her face didn't increase his suspicions. Maybe she was trying to 'apologize' for her accusatory act. But honestly, when DID it bother her?

Finally they reached the cell. It opened and everyone went in. There was only one man, an aged one, with bald hand and long, but thin mustaches.

"You have a nerve sending goons to attack a Kioshi warrior," Azula narrowed her eyes and crossed her hands.

"Except you aren't," the man got up. "Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. And this one here is your...ghostly acquaintance. You made a story in the lower ring."

Danny glanced at Azula, and her look told him that he definitely was going to get a talk after this.

"Foreseeing a question, I have ears everywhere."

"What do you want?" Azula asked.

"It's time I regained control of Ba Sing Se. And you have just what I need. The Earth King's trust."

"And why should we help you?" The princess raised her eyebrow.

"Because I can get you the Avatar."

"I'm listening," Azula smirked.

Danny had a feeling that it was going to end badly. For that guy.


	8. Chapter VIII: Talks and too little fight

"Well, it didn't go well, I take it," Danny deadpanned, looking at the result of his companions' work.

"Why?" Ty Lee asked. "We got this girl and weren't exposed. Isn't it great?"

"Her friends will be looking for her," Phantom responded shortly and confidently.

It began as an accident really. Katara just waltzed in at the most inappropriate moment. When Azula's group was pretty much alone. And as it didn't take long for the Water Tribe girl to figure everything out. She had met with the princess and even despite a ton of grime managed to recognize her. Probably because of the golden eyes. You don't see those around very often. Danny was not there at the moment, as he was too busy at that square because of 'mysterious letter'. They still didn't know who wrote it, as the hieroglyphs couldn't tell much, unlike the letters Phantom was used to. Even if there were some significant traits at writing, his abilities of instinctive understanding of languages couldn't tell him about them.

"Don't be a crybaby," the princess nudged him with a smug smirk. "So far nothing is going wrong."

"Does your world have an equivalent of Murphy's law?" Danny asked calmly. "Because you have just fulfilled all the requirements by saying this and now everything is going to go wrong. Unless this universe is going to be more forgiving."

"Optimistic," Mai said with sarcasm. Like she was the one to talk, Danny thought.

He shrugged. "I will be glad to be proven wrong. It's yet to happen."

No one said anything afterwards, as they left the captive alone. Danny guessed that Azula was planning on using the girl as a bait for the others, while the other part of her plan was being executed right at the moment. He honestly never ceased to be...impressed maybe. Not in the good way, but it was the closest definition. She was younger than him, two years difference, and yet there was so much malicious cunning. Phantom managed to understand her schemes to the extent. He wasn't horrified by her ruthlessness, he had seen something surprisingly worse. She wasn't cutting people open, after all, so she was far from being the MOST cruel being in existence.

"Where are we going next?" Danny asked curiously, fixing the collar of the robe.

"A little inspirational speech for Dai Li is in order," Azula answered. "They need some...boost in moral."

"Great, do I need to fetch them a sedative after you finish?" Phantom raised his eyebrow and made the princess snort a laugh. Ty Lee also giggled.

They reached the dungeons, and there seemed to be a lot of them underneath the palatial grounds. But damn, to build a giant hall with statues underground...what a waste, honestly. It's not like anyone would see those sculptural marvels, anyways. Maybe it was like terracotta army and there was some dead Earth King there. Who knew, Danny was not Indiana Jones, he wasn't that eager to find out. They just got to some open area, where the Dai Li were waiting for them. Ty Lee and Mai just stood aside, clad in their Kioshi warriors outfits, while Danny leaned against the column, almost out of site.

"The Council of Five and the Earth King don't trust you," Azula began her speech. "One of these days they will turn against you and leave none of you alive. Long Feng has placed me in command to execute a coup before they manage to. It must be swift and decisive. I will not tolerate any weakness. If I see it..."

She stopped near one of the agents.

"I won't hesitate to pull it out," the princess said in a dangerous tone.

Danny could swear the guy shit himself, judging from his expression.

"You are dismissed."

The Dai Li went away, while Azula returned to her friends.

"That was amazing, Azula," Ty Lee said, pouring some tea in a cup. Where she had got it was beyond Danny's understanding.

"Short and more than enough," he added. "And not a single faint - that's a record."

He crossed his hands and his eyes showed a certain level of amusement, more at his own joke than at her actions. Such methods did work as he knew, as long as you didn't start executing for an accidentally dropped word. In that case you would fall victim to your own servants. No need for getting too far in anything, including leadership, especially leadership.

Azula quickly drank the contents of the small cup, smirking slightly.

"Thank you for your kind words," she said in a touched voice. "But we have work to do. Phantom, you shall assist our new friends in capturing the Council of Five. They are skilled fighters, so we mustn't underestimate them. Mai, Ty Lee, stay near the Earth King until the time is right."

"Uhm, where exactly are they?" Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "You've told the agents, but not me."

The princess sighed. Yes, that kind of escaped her mind. Too many things at once.

After receiving directions, Phantom set off to the streets of upper ring. One of the generals was there at the moment, and the Dai Li were nowhere to be seen. Well, they did rely on sneaking abilities. Danny decided to try not to do too much damage. His temporary allies might be needing them in the future. They should feel lucky to have such hard-working ally. Unseen by anyone, Danny got to the place. There he was, calmly going through the street. The bearded general didn't notice him at first, but then the half ghost simply stood before him.

"What do you need, lad?" He asked impatiently.

Danny gave a toothy grin. "Nothing personal, dude. But you are under arrest."

"Ha! Move aside, boy."

He was suddenly lifted in the air and yelped in shock. Phantom's eyes glowed green as his hand was raised.

"I'm sorry. What is considered to step aside from your perspective?" He tilted his head to see the general face-to-face.

"What...how..."

"A little bit of ghostly tricks. Now. How do I..."

Suddenly the Dai Li jumped from the shadows.

"Agents, arrest him, quickly!"

"Hello, guys, took you long enough," Danny smirked, as the man's expression became that of horror.

Without uttering a word, the men shot some chains at the general, leaving him completely harmless. Phantom put him on the ground, surprisingly gently.

"Take him...wherever you were told to."

The cloaked agents nodded and grabbed the man. Danny looked around and saw some witness - a woman who just happened to pass. He smirked, his eyes still glowing. Her fright, however, turned out to be pointless. Phantom only put a finger over his mouth and made a shushing sound, before vanishing. Off to the next official. He realized that he really shouldn't start big fights, the streets weren't that empty in the late morning. But it also meant that he would finish everything soon, using the same element of surprise. The half ghost didn't come in time everywhere, some generals had been seized by the time he got to the place. Or at least where the leaders were supposed to be.

The remaining one was actually in charge of the Council, as Danny remembered. General How was his name. Oh, well, he was going down just like the rest. Phantom met with the agents, who had been waiting for the man to walk into their trap. And soon he showed up, coming out of the Palace. Danny raised his hand, before swiping it. He was honestly impressed. Now the agents did their work perfectly. Yet again the chains were wrapped around the man in one swift motion.

With roars How tried to break out, and boy, did he have a stamina.

"What's the meaning of this?!" He shouted.

"Coup D'ètat, as we call it," Danny landed in front of him. "I don't think the King is going to need your services anymore. Honestly, I'm out of puns for each one of you."

How pulled some of the Dai Li closer, overpowering the generally slim men. Phantom sighed, still watching the scene.

"Alright, show is over."

His hand glowed with deathly green color. He made a pistol motion and fired a green blast. The Dai Li understood what they had to do and pulled the chains again, steadying the man for a short while. It was more than enough for the small beam to hit the general's head. He stopped resisting, falling on the ground.

"He will wake up soon. Don't waste time and make haste."

The agents did as he told. After all, they knew to whom he would be reporting. Phantom also knew the reason for their effectiveness. As they went down into the sewers, which went into catacombs, Danny crossed his hands, contemplating his next actions. Suddenly he heard something behind the column. Faint sound, but his ears couldn't be fooled that easily. He floated to the place, so as not to make any sounds of his own.

"We have to warn the Earth King!" Danny heard a whisper.

Peeking around, he saw the familiar members of the avatar's team: a boy from Water Tribe and that other, smaller girl, seemingly from the Earth Kingdom, with puffy hair and without shoes. Damn it, that was war, was children fighting there normal...okay, yes, it was. Phantom was fairly confident that the two were going to get disappointed once they got to the king. But they could ruin many things. Warn the guards, for instance. The girl suddenly perked up.

"Sokka. He is not there anymore," she whispered, making Danny grin deviously.

"Good, then we can..."

"He never walked off from there."

"So? I can fly, for your information."

The kids jumped in surprise at the voice above them. Danny didn't give them time, before firing two blue beams. They were pinned to the ground, enclosed in the ice.

"Not again," Sokka groaned, making the half ghost raise his eyebrow. He didn't recall doing this.

Danny sat in front of them, with crossed legs. His expression became thoughtful.

"What are you looking at?" A question from the southern tribe warrior came.

"How inconsiderate it is of me," responded Phantom, tapping on his chin. "How am I supposed to carry you two?"

"This stuff is so tight," Toph grumbled, trying to get out.

"Well, sorry, we don't want you to get out," Danny shrugged. "I guess I can loose the thing a bit," he then murmured.

He clenched his fist, and their captivity was less uncomfortable. Not enough for them to do anything, though.

"Well, I guess we don't have anything better to do," his lips thinned.

"Fall dead," Sokka said weakly.

"If it is a joke, then it is the worst I have ever heard. Seriously? Saying it into the face of the walking corpse? Lame."

"Hey! Not my fault you are like this."

"Didn't stop you from making stupid jokes. I can feel offended for all I care."

"Not to ruin your friendly chat," Toph put in. "But isn't our mighty Lord of the Dead to go do his evil things?"

"Believe me, if I was evil we wouldn't be having this conversation," Danny said calmly. "But I guess you are right. Although I am in no hurry. After this is over, no one is going to care about you being here. Except for the princess, of course."

"Such loyal lapdog."

"Sokka," Toph said slowly.

Phantom found it amusing to see the young girl scold almost an adult. She didn't want to piss off the one who could finish them off in one blow. Not that they could anger him to that point. And she wanted him to go away so they could get out without being trapped again. Poor things didn't know that they lacked the power to even crack that ice. Well, he wasn't going to ruin their expectations yet. Better for them to find out by themselves. Danny got up and bowed theatrically.

"Well, good luck with getting out," he said, before walking off.

"I hate this guy," Sokka mumbled once he was out of reach.

"I can hear you!" Called Phantom from a distance in a sing song voice.

"Damn it."

Phantom wasn't exactly sure what to do next. Then it dawned upon him that the girls' Kioshi Warriors' disguise hadn't been figured out yet. They probably were there. But how would he bang into the Earth King's Throne room uninvited and without any puns? He had to think some on the way. Something flashy...He reached the place, and he knew that the plan had come to that point already, with the generals captured only he remained. Then he simply banged the huge doors opened.

On his place the Earth King jumped in surprise, his glasses leaping in the air as well. Danny kept grinning widely, while seeing his disguised companions' stunned faces. Maybe just comprehending the fact what he had just done.

"What's going on? Who let you in?" The monarch demanded to know.

"Nobody. Because there is no one outside to begin with. I have come to say that the Council of Five is now under arrest, Your Majesty."

Azula smirked on her place, but her back was turned to her 'boss'.

"What?! I have given no such command!" The king exclaimed, more out of shock than anger. "And who are you?"

"Daniel Phantom. The name is familiar, I hope."

The Earth King's face showed terror. Yes, the name of the Ghost King was known to him. If he hadn't known, the earth monarch wouldn't have believed that that boy was the one from descriptions. Phantom was known thanks to his assistance in the military campaigns, more so than the princess, because she was more subtle. His power showcases were enough to make the commanders wary of him nowadays.

"K-Kioshi Warriors! Do something!" He exclaimed in fright.

"I don't think we will," Azula smirked.

Phantom snorted at recalling good old Captain America. Then he got surprised at how quickly the princess and her friends seized the nerdy looking king. He had looked to the side for a few seconds. Danny approached the others, before putting hands behind his head with a smirk.

"That was fun," he commented.

"Yeah, too sad we couldn't take a picture of his face," Ty Lee giggled. "He was like: 'Oh no, the guy is going to tear me apart'!"

"Well, Azula here summoned me before I could take my phone," Danny shrugged. "And in the midst of healthy breakfast. Or so the package said."

"You are rambling again," Azula sighed. "But otherwise, good job. Next time warn about your actions, however. If it got out of hand, I would have killed you. Again."

"Wow, upbeat much?"

"We took the city and thus the Earth Kingdom. Our names will be written down in history, so yes, I am quite satisfied. Anything else I should know about?"

"Ah, yes, those two from the Avatar's gang. I caught them about a mile away. They are still lying there...maybe I should have moved them."

"Yes, you should," Azula narrowed her eyes. "If the guards find them..."

"The things might go roughly, yeah, yeah. There hasn't been any around, though, I would have noticed."

"Never hurts to check twice," Mai noted.

"I guess you are right. Hey, why is it me who should carry them?"

"Because you can do it quickly," explained the princess. "No need for you and them to stick around for too long. You know where the prison is. Now shoo."

Danny crossed his hands and didn't seem to be going anywhere.

"Please," Azula added, rolling her eyes. "Don't push my good mood."

Danny grinned, before turning away. One of these days it could become a habit for her, at least he hoped so. Phantom didn't make any illusions about her magically becoming softer like in kiddy fairy tales, but manners would do her good in the future. Once he came out of the building, at the last second he noticed Long Feng and the Dai Li going to the throne room as well. As much as he would like to see the scene unfold, he had other things to do. For some reason Danny was confident that Feng was going to be in the same cell as the others.

Phantom returned to the place, and the two were still there. He honestly couldn't understand where the guards were. They could have been dismissed thanks to the princess's scheme. She seemed to have considered everything. For several seconds Danny simply watched them struggle in the shards of ice.

"Why doesn't this thing break?!" Sokka exclaimed.

"Because this isn't your normal ice," Phantom responded.

"It's you again? What do you need?" Toph asked.

"I was told to carry you to the prison. It's right there."

Danny tapped on the ground to emphasize his point. "Hold tight and don't peek out of the windows."

Suddenly the ground beneath them became intangible. The darkness of the ground in front of their faces was soon replaced by the huge underground constructions, with glowing green crystals. As they neared the ground, Phantom calmly levitated them all, despite Sokka's girlish scream. After soft landing he looked around, trying to find the destination.

"In order to make everything more comfortable," he snapped his fingers, releasing Sokka. Toph remained where she was. "Better is to let you go on your feet. I'm not carrying you around."

"Why me?"

"Because for the lack of magical mumbo-jumbo you possess less threat," Phantom said bluntly.

"Oh, I'll show you less threat!"

Sokka took his boomerang and swiped it with a light roar. Danny calmly lowered his head, before punching the gut. Sokka managed to jump backwards, but Phantom didn't stumble, having expected the move. Quickly regaining the footing, he blocked a couple of loose strikes by simply pushing the hand away from his face. Danny's expression showed boredom, before he grabbed the boomerang in his palm.

"You are quite sloppy," the half ghost commented.

In one swift move, namely a strong swipe of his leg, Phantom made the opponent fall on the ground, letting go of the weapon. Sokka attempted to get up, but Phantom's leg felt like a huge rock atop of him. He tried getting his boomerang, but it was out of reach. Danny had tossed it aside.

"If you don't have magic then learn to fight properly. Notice that I am yet to use my power."

"Are you going to lecture me now?"

"I'm serious. You can't hope to be of use if you don't train. How you made it this far is beyond me. Get up," the boomerang flew into the half ghost's hand. "I'll be keeping this for now."

It's not like Sokka had any choice for the matter now. He went ahead, with Phantom commanding to turn into certain direction. Toph was still encased in ice, and was obviously displeased with the predicament. But she couldn't complain about it, Danny was not a fool to let her move an inch. She was held in the air with the help of ghostly telekinesis. The half ghost tapped on his chin, trying to remember the directions. His other hand was busy illuminating the place.

"That damn labyrinth," he muttered. "Dai Li made it look so simple."

"So they are now your buddies," Toph said dryly.

"I wouldn't say that, more like they are scared shitless by the princess," Phantom shrugged. "Not what I would have preferred to do, but it's working out so far."

"Yeah? And what would that be?" Sokka asked, before being shoved forward slightly. He had stood on the path.

"Possessing a few officials, maybe. But I hate doing this."

"Why?" Toph raised her eyebrow.

"You living cannot feel the same way," Danny looked at her. "Just imagine adjusting to someone else's body. They are not always healthy. I'm not even talking about possessing females. That's some kinky shit I'm not that eager to do."

Everyone grimaced. Yeah, that did sound weird.

"Well, while we are moving through this endless network," grinned Phantom. "Want to talk about something?"

"For the King of the Dead you are way too chatty," Sokka grumbled.

"Look who is talking, seabrain."

Danny got looks. "What? You are from Water Tribe as far as I can tell. Or did I get this one wrong?"

"Yes, I'm from there."

"And who did you expect the king to be? Some cloaked skeleton with a scythe? I'm just who I am, even in death. And I have no personal quarrel with you, so why not talk?"

"You want to kill Aang," Sokka noted. "That's personal enough."

Suddenly Danny laughed. "And you just believed what I said in front of the ones who want to do the same. Why would I need the kid?"

"Eh...to gain power and stuff..."

"I'm already the main pretender to the throne of the entire dimension. I'm powerful enough, and once I get the crown I will be unstoppable by mortals. I have to settle score with certain gits wearing white. After that I think I'll just be putting everything together. Avatar is not something what bothers me really, he can do whatever he wants."

The humans couldn't believe him that easily. They had no reason to trust the teen in any way, because his past actions told completely another thing. Better for the half ghost, the lesser the possibility of their belief, the lesser the chance of them spilling everything said out loud. Well, if you don't count that acrobat girl, he always seemed the most friendly one when not trying to beat them to a pulp. The mere fact that he changed his behavior that easily was unsettling. Which manner was real and which was a faux - that's another question. He was obviously playing his own mind game.

"Why the Fire Nation?" Sokka asked. "Earth Kingdom could help you as well."

"It wasn't that accessible at the moment. It took you a week to get to see the King. I was brought to the Fire Lord in a fancy carriage. They made the offer first."

"Just that? They are killing thousands of people! They started this war."

Sokka was forced to look forward again after a shove.

"Yes. They did. If you lived in my condition, you would have learned that when the opportunity arises, you take it. Be it some regime which exterminates every other nation just because of what they are, then it would have been another story."

"Yeah? Is slavery alright in your book, then?"

"My country used slaves for centuries. Each nation in the end comes to the realization of its own mistakes. Some don't live long enough to do that and die. It only makes the rest better, assures that nothing like this happens again. In this case, it matters little who wins this war. Yes, it may take a long while, but for me - a being with eternal life...Well, I guess I'm not the person to talk. But I know what MY people need, and I'll give it. Your world is the responsibility of the Avatar. I am not obligated to anything."

"Jeez, you are a cold one."

"Is it because I put you in the ice? I already wasted my time helping you, mortals. What did I get? BEING ON THE RUN AND EATING JUNK FOR OVER A YEAR!" Danny's eyes glowed with neon color. It made the others shiver. "I'm not going to repeat the same mistake. Once my help will be overdue you all are going to betray me. No matter who that will be. Fire Nation or your Spirit Champion. The spirits hate me just as much and that spineless boy will do what they say. This is why I care little. I may spare lives because I am not a murderer, but that's. It."

Phantom turned the wall intangible and pushed everyone inside. However, once he looked there, Danny whistled.

"Oh, a party I haven't been invited on," he said dryly at seeing everyone there, starting from the Avatar and ending with Zuko.

Everyone prepared to fight. Phantom dropped Toph on the ground, not gently, but not harshly either. Danny looked as calm as ever. He was indeed outnumbered, but the faint sounds of the earth rumbling told that he soon wouldn't be alone. Phantom needed them to escape and don't cause suspicion. A little fight was in order, that he could do. Danny made an inviting gesture, teasing the opponents.

Once everything was unleashed, everyone suddenly discovered that Phantom was nowhere to be seen. Only his laughter was heard, echoing through the cavern. He loved messing with everyone like this.

Danny waved his hand invisibly and stepped back, going through the wall. Toph was suddenly released as the ice disappeared. They couldn't see a smug grin on Phantom's face. Although he himself couldn't see their dumbfounded expression, the half ghost could feel it. His bipolar actions kept confusing them and making the others question his own sanity. Oh, he was sane, or at least Danny hoped he was. Maybe there was a couple of mental issues he needed to heal even still. He also hoped that his merciful and prolonging-the-conflict actions wouldn't backfire somehow.

Phantom heard some rumbling, which showed that there was a movement about. Why would they make another hole if he had clearly seen another one? It in turn could imply that the ground distortions were coming from somewhere else. The only other earth benders around were the Dai Li. Now that was curious. Danny decided to wait for a short while, until there will be an indication of fighting. It would mean that he should step in, otherwise, if it was not a fight, he would be making things embarrassing and possibly dangerous for his plans.

Nevertheless, Phantom followed in parallel with the sounds. He ended up in a dead end. Knowing that there weren't any real dead ends and that a wall always had a tunnel behind it, Danny jumped through. The half ghost was in the ruins of the old city. He had spent many hours in the place. Not this exact spot, but he had time to explore the remnants of old. There wasn't much to look at, though. The locals' predecessors weren't the best architects. But he was getting carried away. Danny immediately jumped to the side from the rock. Collateral damage.

He ran to the epicenter of the fight, getting there in almost no time. He froze the water tentacle on his way, then shattering it into pieces. The shards fell all around, leaving a thin icy fog.

"Having fun?" He asked Azula, who failed to hit Katara.

"Where have you been?!" The princess growled.

"Walking through this endless tunnel."

Danny grabbed a huge rock in the way, surrounded by green glow, it was hurled back at the earth bending girl.

"First you let us run, then try to kill us?!" Katara exclaimed, swinging the water like a whip.

Azula looked at the half ghost. The latter didn't look at her, knowing that he should not waver a second.

"Let you run?"

Phantom charged green blasts, throwing them forward.

"Please, I am not a fool to let you escape by distracting me."

He was alone, after all. While it was unknown how the fight would end, but he could be held back long enough for the rest to run off. His phrase still left the princess suspicious, but she had even more pressing issues. She would confront him about the thing later, Danny hoped she would take his explanation.

The blasts hit the column behind, cracking it. Phantom unnoticeably hissed. Imagine what would happen if he actually hit the target. Sometimes his blasts were more powerful than he wanted. It had never happened before his arrival to that world. And a while afterwards. Luckily no one had been caught in it during the accidental surges of power.

Azula dodged the hits, sending torrents of fire forward. The avatar got separated by Zuko, and got quite busy. That left only...Danny looked around rapidly. The others were gone. Now that got his attention. But before he was able to do anything, Phantom heard a grunt coming from where the princess was. Surprisingly, Katara managed to actually grab Azula within the spurts of water. The question of how that was physically possible was put aside. Danny's eyes and hands glowed with ice blue color, before he fired a beam. The binds froze solid, and became impossible to wield, as they were an extension of Katara's hands.

Another swipe of the hand and the ice shattered in pieces. Azula flashed Phantom a smirk, before Danny saw Zuko behind her. The half ghost charged a blast, but the princess easily guessed his reaction. Once the blast escaped Phantom's fingertips, Azula apprehended the shot by the gust of fire, before shaking her head. Danny understood the thing, although he was deeply confused. But Katara needed to be taken care of. Becoming intangible and reappearing near her in a brief moment made it seem like teleportation. Danny had her neck in his hand. No need to be harsh, he thought, before tossing her aside without much force. It was still enough for her to lie on the ground in exhaustion after hitting the crystals with her back.

He then heard a booming sound. Turning to the side, everyone saw that Aang was rushing to help his friend on a giant boulder. The ghost was calm. Such things are simple to disrupt.

"Shall I do as thou ask?" Danny asked theatrically.

"Do it," Was Azula's brief order.

Phantom yawned and moved his hand. Massive ice spikes disrupted the trajectory of the movement, sending the avatar flying forward out of inertia. The boulder stuck once hitting the improvised wall.

"Not very original," the princess commented.

"Says the one who only uses fire and lighting," responded Phantom reasonably.

Avatar was about to get up, when the Dai Li agents came out of nowhere.

"Just what happened with Long Feng?" Danny inquired.

"I'll tell you later."

It seemed that the avatar realized that they were being outmatched. There were no odds of them winning this. Unexpectedly, Aang brought up the crystals from beneath the ground and hid inside the cover. Danny blinked.

"Why would he need this?" He asked.

"To meditate," Zuko suddenly guessed.

Azula obviously understood what was going on. No one noticed her stepping away.

The crystals started glowing. With the loud cracking sound the avatar emerged. His eyes and tattoos were emitting the blinding light as he was floating high above the ground. Something was supposed to happen, but the light show was interrupted by a powerful lighting strike from the princess, her fingers still had sparks, as shiny as her smirk and a triumphant glint in her golden eyes. The avatar's limp and unconscious body plummeted down.

From nowhere came a tsunami as tall as half way to the ceiling. It mercilessly flushed through the entire hall, washing away everyone in sight. Phantom remained intangible, untouched. He almost felt bad for being so superior to her magic. Katara used the distraction to get to Aang. Danny sighed, letting the crying girl do that. Let them have their moments while they still could. Hopefully he wasn't dead.

The others got back to him. The princess kept grinning, about to launch fire at the defenseless teens. Shockingly for everyone, Danny put his hand on hers, making Azula's head snap to him.

"What are you doing?!" She exclaimed.

"I think it wouldn't do any good. Isn't it better to demonstrate his corpse to everyone? To crush their spirit completely? The body scorched to the unrecognizable piece won't be of any use."

The princess seemed to brighten at the idea. "Good thinking," she complimented, the fire subduing. "Seize..."

She didn't have time to finish as the firestorm sifted out the most of the present people. Iroh stood between them and the avatar.

"Run! I'll hold them off!"

Katara immediately took her leave, despite the many efforts. Iroh kept swinging fire everywhere, his purpose indeed was not to let anyone approach. Even Danny was forced to mostly hold an energy shield. And honestly, he wasn't trying much. Everything was going just as he wanted them to. Once the waterbending girl escaped through the waterfall, Iroh simply...surrendered. Phantom caught how he looked at Zuko. It was a glare of disappointment. He refused to even look at the one he had tried so hard to protect during the last encounter with the half ghost.

"Despite this most unfortunate escapade," Azula started. "Everyone did a wonderful job. Especially you, Zuko. Come talk to me later please, I still have to sort some things out."

The scarred prince was happy to oblige. Happy to go away from his uncle. Danny, meanwhile, stayed with Azula. She smiled at him as the Dai Li carried the old man away.

"I think father will be most pleased as well."

"I hope so, princess," Danny crossed his hands. "It was a sole and simple condition. I've done more than enough."

"Sure, sure. Don't worry about the report, I assure you it will be most complimentary."

With that she went away. Phantom was left with very mixed feelings. He was incredibly happy that he was going to return to the Fire Nation and thus begin the construction. On the other hand, a dreadful feeling rose in his stomach. Everything was a mess of intrigues and deception. It was unclear what to think of what had happened, and what was to come. A mixture of unreasonable actions and those which had been given too much thought. But overall, nothing stopped a boy from dreaming.

A.N. Sorry for the rush in the end. And the entire chapter looks disgusting to me. But I'm tired of changing so many things here, and you are probably tired of waiting for the new chapter. The next should be much more interesting.


	9. Chapter IX: Rotten luck

Despite the fact that the Earth King managed to escape somehow, and Phantom knew exactly the reason why, for the Fire Nation it was a triumph. The loyal guards were helpless against the attack from the inside, and thus the great city of Ba Sing Se fell before a group of teenagers. It sounded ridiculous, but that was truth, the princess sure had something to be proud of, Danny thought. As for him, the half ghost was humble as much as he could while still being regarded as important member of the mission. He didn't want extra attention to his persona.

But he still was left behind to do the last arrangements in the city. The Dai Li brought down the wall, and the armies simply waltzed in. As usual, Phantom was soft but unforgiving. The resisting people were taken captive mostly, but the rest was indeed killed for the lack of other options. He did hear rumors that the captives were going to be sacrificed to him. Supersticious uneducated folk, poor fellows.

It was indeed better. The captives had families, it was a hard, but effective bargain. They feared for each other's lives, and no one was going to be harmed, because no one would keep resisting. Danny indeed was doing a moral backflip each time he commited those things. Others just couldn't understand the real motives of this actions. After all, they didn't become less immoral because of them.

Phantom left as soon as possible, as usual ordering to treat the prisoners properly. He gave the city to the puppet Azula had chosen. That lady was creepy, that smile of hers never left her face. Danny set off, reaching the others before they even sailed to the sea separating the continental colonies from the Fire Nation's archipelago.

The trip to the capital of the country-victor was taking place at the moment, on the royal barge. The soldiers were the happiest ones on the ship, it seemed. Their songs and drinking was tolerable, otherwise they wouldn't be so happy. Ty Lee shared the mood, so did Danny from time to time, but for another reason. He could care less about that victory, but his objective was within the hand's reach. Azula was more calm, but she was obviously pleased, a small smile was ever present on her face. Mai never seemed happy. There was also the newest acquaintance. Zuko.

Phantom wasn't sure what to think of the guy, honestly. The prince seemed somewhat secluded at first, probably still unsure about being near the people who had tried to kill him, namely the half ghost and the princess. Danny was yet to share a word with him, or more like the other way around. Phantom wasn't going to press, he knew the value of privacy. It was something he barely received himself.

As for his plan, the portal had been designed to the latest detail. All what's needed was the Fire Lord's approval and the resources from their state. Danny needed their industry equal to that of the new era, not just raw materials. Metals: mostly steel and copper, some silver as well for the conduits. Thankfully the resources of that world were the same. He shouldn't be surprised. Molecular structure is what makes them what they are. Their amount was another question.

On one of the days, closer to the destination, but still at the sea, Danny was just relaxing on the deck. It was surprisingly empty, maybe because it was late, but not for the teen. Being on a chair with a glass of juice. Wonderful atmosphere. Although he was getting sick of the water around them. Gazing at the night sky was much more interesting.

"Why am I not surprised that you are here?"

Danny leaned his head backwards and saw Azula standing on the ceiling. Oh, his head just was upside down.

"Hello there," Phantom greeted. "Something you need, princess?"

"Not really. I have hoped for some privacy, but there aren't many places."

The half ghost knew she was lying. No one dared to go into her room. Where is more privacy than there?

"I can leave if you want," Danny offered gently.

Azula waved her hand nonchalantly. "Just be a ghost you are and it will be fine."

She leaned against the railing, with her back turned to him. Phantom shifted in his seat, wondering about the reason of her visit.

"Tell me, what will be after this in your opinion?" The princess asked.

"You mean after everything is done and your father becomes the ruler of the world?" Danny took a sip of juice. "I don't know. You will be the one deciding it. Despite Zuko's return you are still the heiress."

"There is plenty of time before that moment."

"I agree. But you haven't mentioned the time."

"I meant you, actually."

Danny raised his eyebrow. "Me? I'm taking my place, with all the pain and advantages of such afterlife."

"No contacts whatsoever?"

"I don't see the reason. The human world I used to live in is too prejudiced towards us, what do I gain from that? Conquer it? I don't need extra concerns about them. If you are interested in further contacts, it is easily arrangeable once the gateway is done. Helping someone gain absolute power over the world can have own advantages."

It surely got Azula's interest. She was pleased with the given answer, but the mentioned advantage worked in two ways, although differently. Making friends with the Ghost King was surely beneficial for their cause. And it could be helpful in the future. Better not make him anything but sympathetic. It was hard to figure out whether he was honest or not, since Danny always was pretty straightforward in what he said. She was pleased with such showcases of honesty, as it was easier to read him, but it was so bothersome sometimes. He spoke his mind maybe too often.

After the continuous journey together he had become more or less trusted companion. Trust wasn't easy to come by when it came to the princess, but Danny hadn't done anything to sabotage it. His explanations were reasonable, and if you don't take his constant refusal to end the enemy and be done into account, trustworthy enough. She wouldn't have left Ba Sing Se and left him in charge for even a brief while if he wasn't.

He could even be considered a useful friend in Azula's book. Not the most definite term, as it could be interpreted differently, returning to how exactly she had made Ty Lee join them. Yes, he was annoying sometimes with his carefree attitude once he had opened up a bit, but he always got the job done. That was enough.

"You know, I might show you other worlds," Phantom offered with a smile, making the princess cast him a confused look.

He was now standing near her, with hands behind his back.

"Why would I want that?" She asked.

"To relax. We are still teenagers, despite everything we have achieved. We are ought to have fun from time to time."

"I do have fun, there is no need for some petty entertainments you imply."

"Oh, don't be like that, princess. Everyone needs rest. From fights, plotting and such. Not to offend in any way, but you seem to be on edge sometimes."

Azula huffed at such ridiculous assumption. "I am fine. Why would I be anything but at the moment?"

"You tell me. I have learned some things from my sister. If there is any issue I might help you with, don't be afraid to ask. As your friend I am bound to be concerned."

The golden eyes peered into blue ones.

"Friend?" She asked. A confirmation of his thoughts and intentions made her job easier.

"Well, duh, unless you want to keep calling me a servant for no reason," Danny smirked.

They both laughed.

"Yes, I'll keep doing that, since you obviously don't mind."

Phantom's abrupt stop made the princess laugh even harder.

"Very funny," he said sarcastically, a chuckle betraying his words. "I am serious, however."

"I am serious, too. I don't need anything."

"Not even some juice?" Danny offered, a glass carafe floating near his head. The insides were cold, the cubes of ice were shaking temptingly.

"Quite lazy ability," Azula noted with a smirk.

"Aw, and you won't get a chance to see this body in its full glory once I get fat because of it," Danny pointed at himself theatrically. "Then again, I have seen your...not that it wasn't nice...the body I mean...I'll just shut up now."

The princess narrowed her eyes, making Danny gulp internally, before sighing.

"I am willing to leave this 'accident' behind," She said, obviously still thinking that that was on purpose.

"I have no complaints," responded Phantom.

"Well, then," Azula yawned. "I think it is time to sleep. A busy day is ahead. Glory is like that. Very tiresome."

After that she left, leaving him alone with his thoughts again. He better should go, too, Danny decided.

Soon the trip came to the end. Danny was forced to wear something 'more appropriate' for a person of his status and on a day like that. Phantom would rather remain out of sight, but it was out of question. Ah, his everpresent anxiety at public attention. For a long while it had been hiding inside and now was coming out. But that time hiding taught him how to avoid extra notice.

All that asian styled litters weren't his thing. In Phantom's mind it was rather embarassing to take a ride on such unusual way of transportation. Thankfully it was a closed one, and Danny could bury himself deep inside. It caused both Azula and Zuko look at him strangely. There were only three of them, because it was a royal thing. And he was a very high ranking ally.

The cheers could be heard from inside the litter, it was just big enough to fit four people. Not that the people carrying it could handle more. Inside it was comfy, and despite hot weather it was somehow cooler in there. Soft seats and pillows, silky wall upholstery of crimson color.

Everyone was regally dressed, Danny included. His robes were similar to the Fire Nation one, because the tailor from that country made them. They were simply black, with silver instead of gold used in the ornaments, without edgy and sharp parts they seemed to favor. His own request, with which Danny was more than satisfied, after he had accepted his fate of having to get it. He did lack his infamous crown, but it was a surprise tool he would need later.

"What is it?" Azula sighed, seeing how the half ghost buried himself in the pillows.

"I don't like such publicity," Danny mumbled, glancing outside at the crowd, but then retreating inside.

"Why?" Zuko asked.

"Oh, so he can talk," Phantom said sarcastically, before sighing and running a hand through his hair. It was actually the first time they had a conversation. "Sorry. I once seeked popularity, but it backfired, kind of."

The princess smirked, crossing her legs. "Shush. Not the time to be gloomy, both of you."

"Hey!" Danny exclaimed dramatically. "I am not gloomy. Just thoughtful, that's it."

"And what could that be?" The scarred prince inquired, guessing that he really should act more calmly. He really was on edge for some reason.

"Oh, princess hasn't told you why the undead I am decided to help you all of a sudden?"

"You are worrying too much about it," Azula dismissed his everpresent concerns. "Honestly. And you call me paranoid," she said with a note of annoyance.

"Fine. Fine. Maybe I'm not feeling well because of how this thing shakes. That's why I prefer our cars. Or even a horse would do."

"Well, if that's the case..."

Azula hit the floor with her leg. The litter shook even more. The people carrying it obviously got the message after being pounded to the ground by this action. The ride became steadier and the princess smiled innocently.

"You are welcome."

The transport pulled to the palace. It's been a while since Danny had visited the luxurous place. Needless to say about Zuko. The prince just stared at the building which housed less than fond memories out of the window of his transport. Still, it was his home. He also tried to listen for the crowd's reactions, but they were too sporadic for him to make out anything. But since they were cheering, he guessed it wasn't been so bad.

Danny, however, was doing the same thing, albeit for other reasons.

"Who is that kid? The sneaky looking one."

Phantom's lips thinned. Was he really looking that way? He listened closer, as they were waiting for the gates to open.

"That's the Ghost King, idiot! I heard he can take human appearance!"

"Glad he is on our side."

Now Danny was in two minds. On one hand, he didn't have frightened reactions he received in the past no matter what he had done. On the other, too much attention. He just wanted to get home as quiet as possible, not all of this. Someone must have spreading rumors. Not surprising, considering how many times he had to shine.

Finally the litter reached the destination and three didn't wait to come inside. However, once there, Azula stopped her companions.

"I'll have to talk with father first," she told them. "Especially concerning you, Zuzu. So you would know what to expect."

Zuko raised his eyebrow. How nice of the person who had tried to kill him on several occasions. But she was right nevertheless. He didn't feel ready to confront him upfront.

"And what about me?" Danny asked.

"Same, Servant. I'll see what he has to say. Then he will call for you. Father wanted to talk to me first. You don't mind coming with Zuko?"

Phantom sighed and shrugged. "Fine. I need something to drink, anyways."

Azula smiled and went off, leaving the boys alone.

"Soo..." Danny started. "Looks like the princess dumped us. Any plans what to do?"

"I'm going to my room. I hope it is the way it had been."

"Fair enough."

"Alone."

"Okay," Phantom raised his hands in surrender.

Zuko was about to move on with his plan, but Danny grinned behind his back. The prince didn't know that that was perfect for the half ghost. No need for an extra döppelganger when he could do everything himself. Once Zuko briefly looked back, Phantom was already gone. He really was a ghost, the prince thought.

Danny, invisible and intangible, was repeating the same feat as during the day he first set foot in this unknown world. Again he was in the throne room and again he was sitting on a beam supporting the ceiling. Phantom made himself comfortable up there. There was only the Fire Lord sitting on his throne, obviously waiting for Azula. With fiery special effects as well. Wasn't he a dramatical one. Finally the princess entered the hall.

"Leave us," Ozai immediately ordered the guards.

The armored men didn't hesistate to do just that. They passed the princess and closed the huge doors behind them. Azula approached the throne and kneeled. The Fire Lord smiled. He made an upward gesture with his palm.

"Rise, Azula. To say that I am satisfied will be an understatement."

"Thank you, father," the princess smiled slightly as well.

"To capture Ba Sing Se and get your traitorous uncle. You surely will be remembered years later."

Azula kept accepting the praise with an obvious satisfaction in her eyes. Danny actually noted that it really must have meant something to her. From what he had learned, that guy wasn't the most easygoing one. Like father, like daughter.

"Not to mention the fact that you have killed the Avatar..."

"Actually," Azula put in. "It's Zuko's doing."

Nobody had expected such turn of events. Danny almost fell down from his spot out of shock. Getting rid of the Avatar was not something sinful in the locals' opinion. It was an achievement, and for Azula of all people to give a shining laurel wreath to her previously despised brother...Phantom was now curious about what she had in mind.

"Really?" Ozai was surprised just like the half ghost. "How come that Zuko managed to do so?"

Azula proceeded to share a tale she had thought up on the way there. Danny could guess so. It was awfully detailed and realistic, and shed the complimentary light on the prince. Usually the Fire Lord would have disregarded such talks. His respect for his son had been pretty much nonexistent. But if Azula was the one who was telling this, it was probably truth.

"Maybe he really changed after these years," Ozai mumbled, rubbing his chin. "Hopefully he won't repeat the same mistake twice. Now...for your newest friend."

Danny leaned closer. Well, as close as he could.

"Tell me what you think," The Fire Lord continued. "Do we need his assistance from now on?"

Phantom didn't like where this was going at all.

"War is not completely over, father."

"Please, like that scattered remains can do anything. I can hardly call that a war. I recall what this boy has gathered about the Day of the Black Sun. We can easily snap their back and without our firebending. Not to mention the arrival of the comet."

"But why waste our resources on worrying about that if we can make the undead fight with them?"

Ozai hummed and rose from his seat of power. He approached his daughter with a thoughtful look. Danny couldn't help but appreciate what the princess was trying to do. Hopefully it would turn for the better. He wanted to jump down and interrupt that pompous idiot's speech, but it was going to make everything worse.

"While it does sound reasonable...have you seen WHAT he needs for that machine of his? The War Minister has shown me, and it is not cheap. And there is no guarantee that it would pay off."

"Indeed," Azula agreed. "But it surely is better to keep him as an ally. No one knows what will happen in a distant future."

"No one knows if he WILL remain an ally once he unites with his armies and gains power."

Phantom couldn't deny that the idea hadn't crossed his mind a couple of times. And although he did resent the ways of the Fire Nation, all his musings had already been spilled in his conversations with the Avatar's team. He did not belong to that world, it was not his concern, he kept convincing himself. Danny's mind was snapped back to reality by the continuing conversation.

"There are more benefits in cooperating with us. He sees the obvious advantages. Father, his home possesses knowledge impossible to come by here. Even if he will avoid assisting us, we may learn a lot at the time."

"You seem to be very passionate about the prospect," Ozai said with suspicion.

"The interest is because of what he can give us. Nothing more," Azula stated firmly, standing straighter. "I'm only suggesting that we shouldn't throw such opportunity away. But I'll do whatever you want."

"Hm...even disposal?"

Danny narrowed his eyes. And after a hearty moment on the deck, no less. He sighed. Of course they were betraying him, he knew it would happen from the beginning. But it hurt a bit, even if he was not surprised at all. Phantom guessed he did have hopes, after all. Humans, traitorous fools. His fists clenched.

Ozai seemed to be intrigued by the prospect. His mind traveled back to his own father's task. Yes, only Zuko's mother prevented the boy from being killed at the young age.

"Is that really so?" He continued. "We have no use of him. And the boy flocking to the enemy is the last thing we want. We also don't need much fuss. The kid became too well known around here. Keep this in mind. I don't care how you do it, but make sure no one hears about it. And if he figures out, you will be the one responsible."

"If I may..."

"Yes?"

"I think by allowing him to proceed with construction we will be able to stall the time."

"Hmm...very well then. He has my permission," Ozai said dismissively.

Danny decided that he didn't need to listen any longer. He floated out of there, landing in a corridor outside. The guards noticed his pace and shivered in fright. His pissed off glare could burn a wall. The blazing neon eyes only added to the impression. Even the fire litting the place turned green as he passed it. He went straight into the chamber he had used during his first visit. Phantom sat on the soft bed, feeling as if he sat on the nails, deep in thought.

It was just his rotten luck. It wasn't supposed to happen until later. His plan had been far from perfect. He had not taken the Fire Lord's arrogance in consideration. It was above all thoughts of his soldiers, as they were nothing but an exploitable resource for him. How he kept winning was beyond the half ghost's understanding. Or maybe Ozai was too paranoid, truly fearing what Phantom could do. Tying loose ends.

That's what you get when trying to play intrigues.

"Damn amateur," Danny blamed his stupidity, looking around the big room.

He took a calming breath, staring out of the window at the bright blue sky. His eyes turned to their human shade again. The spacey room suddenly felt very small, like that rathole he had lived in before the entire ordeal. The prospect of being a target for murder once again dampened the bright crimson colors around, to the grotesque shades of dirt.

Just because no one could resist his supernatural power he allowed himself to be overconfident not only in his abilities as a fighter, but as a tactitian. It was one thing commanding the soldiers and another being here, competing with the most powerful and influential people of the planet. But maybe there was still a chance. And it got Danny thinking about a new plan.

He was still damn hard to kill, no matter what the assassins could throw at him. Poisons were completely negated by the ectoplasm in his veins. He could become intangible whenever something was thrown at him. His reaction had been keened by the months in hiding. Whatever the princess could plan, Danny was going to make the process as complicated as possible for everyone involved but him.

They were going to stall the time during the construction. Probably by slowing the deliveries and creating malfunctions. But it was HIS machine. No one knew about the details, no one could understand HIS blueprints. Danny smirked, his anger quickly dissipating, letting the glee take its place.

His eyes darted to the desk made of dark wood, where he saw his delivered papers, along with a letter. Curious, Danny opened the envelope. It was a message from the War Minister. The man by whose initiative Phantom ended up in that world seemed to always show genuine interest in the project, as he, unlike his ruler, saw the benefits for the country. It seemed that some pieces were already there, they were just waiting until the Fire Lord let them continue. Well, they would go on. It should only take a little more than a week, if the obvious delays wouldn't take place.

After putting the letter on the desk, Phantom sighed once again and sat on a soft chair. Some part of him was still worried. It was as if he had started to live in the GIW headquarters. It was going to be hard to act friendly and open near them once again. And he had just opened up. They were forcing him back into his distrustful shell, although such thought hadn't crossed his mind. He was going to be himself, no matter what they threw at him. It wasn't going to happen again.

Danny was tired of all of this. He was sick. Nothing gave him hope more than a chance to stay with his ghostly, true friends. Even if the entire royal scheme wouldn't work out, he had a place to stay in.

His endless train of thoughts was only interrupted by a knock at the door. Phantom leaned back and allowed to come in. It was just a servant girl asking whether or not he wanted something. Danny saw her shaking slightly, so he politely asked to just bring him something to drink. After the door was closed, the half ghost returned to his papers. He took a spare list and got to work, the translation had to be done for the workers, but who said that it should be exact?


	10. Chapter X: The factory

Phantom looked around the construction site. The forest meadow had been severely violated by the group of Fire Nation workers. It was spiritually strong, and the humans were indeed afraid that out of the bushes would jump some scary beast. But Danny was calm about it, he would have sensed a foreign presence. He told them as such, and it calmed the people down. He was an otherwordly being himself, after all.

The portal was groundbreaking. Literally. It was positioned on the ground. There were many points to call such decision quite stupid, but there was little choice, no wall to dig into. At the moment the portal was nothing more than a zone marked with sticks, connected with white rope. That's basically it, but some of the materials had been brought to the spot. Piled up in accurate stacks.

"So we have it," Danny mumbled, crossing his hands and looking at the War Minister.

"Indeed, Your Majesty. We haven't got the blueprints," Qin rubbed his grey goatee.

One of them was immediately shoved into his face.

"To you I give a simple part," Phantom explained as the aged man unrolled the scroll curiously.

"The carcass, I take it?" guessed Qin, looking through the piece of parchment.

"Yes. We are facing many complications, caused by how backwards this world is. Not to offend."

"And how exactly?"

"You don't have the wires to transmit the electricity."

Many workers, some of which had to wear only pants because of the hot weather, listened to the overseer of the incredible project. Qin raised his eyebrow.

"Why would we need it?"

"The portal will self-sustain after the launch, and even then we will need to expulse extra energy."

The War Minister nodded, putting the parchment on the table.

"How are you going to get the electricity?"

Danny tapped on the drawing. "These are coils to harvest lighting. So far it's the only way I see. They are naturally attracted to high and metallic objects. We need 1,21 gigawatt, which is quite ironic. There are two ways to get enough - either lighting or plutonium...239, I think. I don't know where my parents took the source, maybe stole from a power plant. Electric cords are made of certain metals which transmit enough electrons without heating up too much. Silver is the best for such job, but it is expensive, so I asked to make copper ones for the most part. Try to guess the problem."

Phantom loved his role as an emissary of the next era. He picked up a copper wire and bended it easily.

"It is thin?"

"You are right," Danny lied, actually implying the lack of isolation. "What about the metal for the portal itself?"

"Strong alloys. They are being produced by one of our best plants. Located near Jang Hui river."

Phantom walked to the pile of metal plates and took a closer look. He hummed.

"I need a test. Put one of them in some place."

The workers followed with the order. One of the plates was put vertically in a secluded place. Danny charged an ectoblast in his palm. It needed to withstand ectoenergy in large quantities. He kept charging it for several seconds, as the people stepped away from him, putting more energy into it. Once he guessed that it was enough, Phantom unleashed the blinding green beam.

It hit the metal plate and launched the thing into the tree. Someone had put it too carelessly. The grass beneath the beam had been completely wiped out, leaving barren dead ground.

"Now let's see what's become of it."

Danny moved his hand and the piece of metal flew to him. He examined it closer, and the result could be called very satisfactory. Phantom recalled his parents testing the alloy by shooting from their petty pistols. If this piece could withstand his, maybe not the most powerful shot, with only a minor scorch mark, it would do just fine.

"Where have you said they make those?" Danny asked.

"Our ten years old factory on Jang Hui river. It is on the edge of the Fire Nation archipelago."

"I see. We need more metal of their production. We can do with hexagonal shape. This way we won't need specifically made plates."

"I'll write..."

"I'll do it myself, I haven't yet made all the measurements."

In reality, he did, and it was one of the parts no one there was destined to know. Danny knew that each detail which had been spilled was going to be used to damage his project.

"I'll give you the message eagle, then."

Phantom nodded. Yes, he would get another one and send it in different route.

"Put it in my room in the Palace, Minister. Until then, the workers must keep digging. Just as described on the second list."

"Are you going on your own or you are taking the carriage?"

"It's too slow," Danny smirked, turning away and putting one of the hands in his NASA hoodie. "I will make it on my own just fine."

He turned invisible and flew off. Phantom was sure that at this point nothing could be done. They were simply digging a hole. The flight to the capital wasn't that long, even if Danny hadn't bothered to turn into ghost form. The sight of the city inside the volcano was impressive from this height, he had to admit. But it brought him little joy. He wanted to get out of there. Going to the Palace was not an option at the moment, he didn't want to come there, a bitter taste in his mouth and a hurtful feeling in his stomach still remained.

He had lost the traces of trust to them. The lesser the contacts, the more chances of staying half alive. But he had to show up at the first call, so as not to cause suspicion. Danny invisibly searched for the nearest military post. They had messenger hawks, specifically trained to handle private, military messages. And as he was about to enter, he stopped abruptly. No, it was risky as well. Just imagine, if he wrote two letters and the guy on the other end told about this, what would it look like? It would look like he was distrustful. No, that won't do.

What should he do, then? Maybe fly there. Approximately, if he moved on full speed, he would get there before evening. The world was indeed small compared to Earth. He could get from the center of this archipelago to its edge in a matter of hours. Three hours, if he moved on his maximum. Yes, that's decided. But first he had to inform the princess...

A shiver went down his spine. Not because of fear, but because of unwillingness to do so. Sighing, Phantom went to the Palace. Just be cool, he kept telling himself. Just come in, then come out. In his musings the half ghost just stomped through the empty halls of the huge Palace. Better not to bump into the Fire Lord of all people. It would be terrific. Finally, Danny reached her chambers. Praying to whatever gods there were that he wouldn't come in the inappropriate moment, Phantom opened the door.

Azula was right there, several servants were washing her long locks in a sink. A sink which was in her royally furnished bedroom. Who would have thought that she pays so much attention to the things of a normal teenage girl? The princess popped her left golden eye open and looked at him.

"Can't a princess have a moment of privacy here?" She said dramatically.

"I beg your pardon?" Phantom raised an eyebrow and leaned against the column.

"Zuzu left a couple of minutes ago. What do you want?" Asked Azula calmly, closing her eye and obviously relaxing.

"Just informing about my departure."

"What?"

"Relax," Danny smirked. "I'm not about to leave you so soon. Just a trip to one of the factories. I'll be back in a couple of days."

"Now that is interesting. What for?"

"I need to make sure they get the shapes and contents of alloys right. No trust for their abilities."

"Hm...well, go ahead."

Danny was dumbfounded. He had expected that he would have to convince her. She wasn't supposed to let him go so she would be able to kill him. Or was she trying to undermine everything from here? Phantom nodded and was about to leave the room, his mind was split in two, as he was unsure about what he should do now.

"Oh, wait just a moment," Azula looked at him again. "I would like to share a few words after you return."

Danny shrugged. "Whatever you wish, princess."

By the moment of his departure Phantom had made a decision. He shall leave a weak, pathetic duplicate to just sit invisible on the spot of the future portal. So as not to let anyone interfere. Danny changed into his ghost form, and then he set off towards the setting sun, a small bag around his shoulder, where he kept the blueprints.

The factory he needed was located on the edge of the archipelago, as had been mentioned before. As the islands looked like a crescent moon, Jang Hui river was on its lower sharp end. Danny was used to this kind of travels by then, but the blank sight of the ocean all around (he had taken a straight route) was disheartening. Phantom was bored out of his mind, seeing the waves flush beneath him. But, it gave him something to think about. Maybe it was salt going up his mind, but no odor could do anything to him.

Danny sighed, the evening breeze was blowing through his stark hair. Phantom was tired of all of this. He was not some mighty king and champion of the undead. He was just a teen wishing to get home. Where he could spend his afterlife in peace. Why were there so many obstacles on his way? It's not like he asked for so much. Didn't he deserve it? After all these years risking his life only to suffer himself more. No. It was the wrong way to think of things. Where was his infamous positivity? In the grave with his parents and friends, probably. But they wouldn't want him to give up, no matter what that pathetic, bratty prick named destiny threw at him. Danny didn't notice how he got to the island he needed.

The island was small, but Phantom could make out the smoke of the factory from afar. During the evening it was his navigator. Flying closer, it didn't escape his view how everything shouted 'death'. Not a single tree, not a single strand of grass for miles. Giant, dark construction was emitting black fumes up in the clouds, the noise of devilish machines rumbling for miles. It was about to call it a day, probably, so Danny'd better hurry. Stopping near the entrance, he changed back into human form, before coming up to the guards.

"Stop right there!" One of them said. "You have no business here, boy."

"As a matter of fact, I have," Danny said, taking off the hood and smiling. "Or are you not going to let the Ghost King in?"

The fire in the nearest torch turned green, as the air overfilled with ectoplasm instead of oxygen around it. The guards jumped in fright.

"Oh, we are sorry, sir. Do you need a guide?"

"Why, thank you. I'd appreciate this."

"This way, Your Majesty."

One of the guards in the same dark red armor and a mask helped Danny find his way through this dark and noisy labyrinth. The heavy smell of metals was transported around by the hot steam. Phantom took a wild guess that they used water for cooling the metals. Well, there was plenty of it. On an island. Danny didn't like heat. He hated it, being a being of eternal cold and blizzard. It couldn't even make him feel warm, it only aggravated both his core and his skin.

Phantom stopped near the metal door, while the guard bowed and went back to his post. Danny knocked and then entered without waiting for a response.

"Who in the hell dares to..."

The man at the desk dropped his writing brush at seeing the visitor. The brush was tiny compared to the chubby fingers of the giant. He was indeed huge. Several scars ran across his face, on its sides were black whiskers, his hair was tied in a ponytail.

"Your Majesty!" He breathed and gulped. "What do I owe a visit?"

"You know what I want. After all, I'm the one who requests metal for my project."

"Ah, yes, the one War Minister requested?"

Danny nodded, taking a seat.

"I take it you liked it?" The overseer smirked. "Of course you should! We make the superior metal for the Fire Nation's war machine!"

"Excited, are we?" Danny chuckled. "Indeed, I am more than satisfied. That's why I am here."

Phantom took out several papers and gave them to the overseer, who examined them.

"I have translated it specifically for you. I need the following shapes, of this very density and this composition."

"Of course. As you are our esteemed ally, helping you will help our nation," the man rose from his seat. "What are you making, if I am allowed to know?"

Danny smiled enigmatically. "What is a king without his army?" He chuckled. "Tell me more about the island."

The overseer snorted. "Nothing of interest, Your Majesty. We are here because of a very good location. The river provides a good cooling. But there is a pitiful village down the stream, if you bother visiting it."

Phantom shrugged. "The war isn't at its very heated stage. I have a lot of free time all of a sudden."

"Still, you better stay in the rooms located here. There is a spare one for important visitors."

Danny got up as well, shifting the bag on his shoulder. Phantom decided to take a trip to the village on the next day. As General Mung, and that's the overseer's name, led him to the bedroom and considered this an honor, Phantom decided to ask a question.

"You don't seem to have much sympathy for that settlement."

"Why should I? They constantly come, whine and bother me."

"Why would they?"

"They say I am polluting the place. A small price to pay for our country's victory, don't you think?"

"Hm...while your ideas do make sense, just leaving the village unattended is wrong as well."

"What do you suggest?"

"Two things can be done. Either reduce the pollution by using more modern techs, or encourage the locals to move to another place. By that I mean that you should help them, not push them out using brute force."

"It's a lot of headache. And the locals would rather die from suffocation than move. That's what makes them so annoying."

"Have you tried?"

A silence followed.

"It's still improbable, Your Majesty. You can try, of course. I'd like to see the results, because I will NOT shorten my production."

Danny looked at him for a moment, but said nothing. Phantom was left alone in his small, but fancy room. The window was closed, and it was obvious why. The air itself was poisoned. Danny could care less about its threat to his health, but the thing smelled as well. The half ghost just went to sleep without doing anything extra.

The morning came quickly to him. Phantom sighed and, getting up, stretched his muscles. Quickly putting on his Fire Nation clothes (His own would smell if he wore them on the constant matter), Danny exited the room with some money in a small purse. But he wouldn't leave without watching that all his needs would be met. The labor had already begun, and the half ghost met with Mung. Danny politely refused sharing breakfast with him, just telling the meaning of his notes and leaving once the production began. It would take about a day, thanks to the not so complicated shape of the metal plates. Phantom was going to have breakfast in the village.

Never had he regretted such minor decision. The second he set his feet on the wooden road of the village built entirely on water, Danny knew that he had made a mistake. The water could be hardly considered as such. Some green slug covered it like an oil spillage. Phantom couldn't remember the factories in his world to be so harmful to the environment. It was worse than he had imagined. The entire village looked like a black death had recently ravaged the place and then left on vacation at the beach of Oklahoma. And yes, there were no beaches.

The horrid smell of pollutants, mixed with rotting fish was a cocktail to behold. And die from. Danny's keen sense of smell only made matters worse. He went forward, his hopes of having a breakfast quickly decimating. In that kingdom of rot and disease he stood out, being clean and well dressed. The more he looked, the more pity it called in his core. It truly was a sad sight. Many were dying at their homes. Probably they ate some fish poisoned by the products of the factory. Danny made a note not to take anything. Why was he still there? He did not know.

"Hello there!"

Danny perked up, about to raise his fist, but quickly stopped himself. There was some old man with a long grey beard and bushy hair, with a tall yellow and red hat.

"What?" Phantom almost snapped, angry at being startled.

"Are you interested in some fish? Or maybe clams?"

"Eh...no."

Both products looked extremely unhealthy, with green ooze and abscesses all over. Never in hell was Danny going to eat it.

"Okay, have it your way. What brings you here to our village?"

"I'm a...traveler, you may say. Things are going bad, huh?" Phantom asked without enthusiasm.

"It will be an understatement, lad," there was a resentful note in the shopkeeper's voice, but he was still grinning.

Danny saw a small shack, the door was open to let more air in. He heard coughing and crying. His core ached more. No, you fool. It is not your business, a small voice in his head whispered. What was there for him? Once again his core was pushing towards the thing he came to resent. Interfering with the suffering of the mortals. Fighting crime, now this. He was becoming very soft once more, it had become clear to him long ago. Sighing, Phantom decided that he should at least take a look. If it was what he thought that was, maybe he could help. No one paid attention to him entering the shack. There was a woman in rags, who held a sorrow expression, staring at her little child. Phantom coughed, getting her attention.

"May I take a look?" He asked.

"Are you a doctor?" The woman responded hopefully.

Danny nodded slowly. "Not with any form of degree, but this is something even I can handle."

As the lady moved away, it was an invitation enough. Phantom put a hand on the girl's forehead.

"Fever...any complaints of stomachache?"

The mother nodded.

"I see...well, you are lucky that it is only a food poisoning. Serious one, but healable. I have a medicine on me."

Phantom took out a small vial. It was useful in one of the travels when the soldiers ate something inappropriate. He needed them up and running, after all.

"It was a disgusting process to make it," Danny chuckled, noticing that near the entrance stood curious people. "And it has just as disgusting taste. Don't spew it out, girl, okay? Just gulp it down immediately."

The child nodded slightly, before Phantom put it to her lips. It was indeed disgusting, but the girl did as instructed.

"Here," Danny said slowly. "It will take a while, but she should feel better."

"Oh, thank you sir, I don't know how to repay..."

"No need," Phantom smiled. "I have my ends met as it is."

"What is this medicine?" Someone asked.

Danny smirked. "A certain piece of mold mixed with lemon juice."

They looked even more sick than before.

"How..."

"You will be surprised how well mold kills off the bacteria which cause several diseases. Not all kinds of mold, some are just as deadly to you. So don't go around eating it. Wow, I didn't know I would ever need this kind of information."

The people then began asking him to help them as well, and Phantom found himself in a very strange predicament. But it felt nice to finally get appreciation for what he was doing. Danny immediately warned that he was, for one, limited in supplies, and two, improvised penicillin couldn't heal everything. The children were treated first, then the women and the elderly, the men were the last, but by that time Danny had run out of his medicine stash. As he was helping the locals, the people told him that all their medicines had been confiscated for the needs of the factory. The more Phantom learned about it, the less enthusiastic he was towards the local production. Granted, the workers needed to stay healthy as well, being in the very epicenter of pollution, but why would they do that at the expense of the locals? They were working on behalf of the government, it was their duty to self-sustain, being in possession of now stable supply lines.

Phantom would have a talk with Mung afterwards.

As the half ghost finished treating another man, he was once again approached by the shopkeeper, who was now wearing a different hat.

"The last days have been filled with miracles!" He said. "First Painted Lady comes to help us, now you have arrived!"

"Oh, it's you again," Danny looked up.

"I don't believe we've met," he grinned. "You probably mistook me for my brother. I am Dock."

Phantom raised his eyebrow, before a thought occurred to him. "Who is this Painted Lady?"

"She is the spirit-guardian of our village," the not-shopkeeper explained. "Last night she did bring some medicine, but of course there wasn't enough for everyone. But even that brought us joy. Thanks to you we will be able to come by fully. She will surely thank you if you meet."

Danny let a bitter laugh. "A spirit thanking me? Sounds very unlikely," he mumbled sadly.

Still, it was a very curious coincidence. He would come searching for her, apparently at night.

After Danny was done with this job, he suddenly realized that he hadn't had any breakfast. Phantom departed for the factory, where he finally had lunch. They had already prepared the alloy, now just to fill the forms. By the evening they would be done, and the news lifted Phantom's mood substantially. He did have a talk with the General, who obviously showed the signs of annoyance at his concern. Mung didn't want to bother himself with their problems, until Phantom attempted to reason with him.

"It can't be like this. The trade is already complicated for them. Pillaging the villagers cannot sustain you for long. It's but a small village. You already can't take any more medicine, because they have none. What will happen when you run out of them?"

Mung rubbed his chin. The lad was making a good point.

"Why do you care, anyways?" He asked. "Not eager to get more subjects?"

"Hm, let's see if I need more impoverished moaning souls around," Phantom deadpanned. "I am the King of Undead, but I have no need for more deaths. I rule them, not make them."

"Strange for someone who fights in a war," Mung grumbled. "They probably steal everything themselves."

"What?" Danny asked incredulously at such assumption.

"Last night we found some of our supplies stolen."

Phantom wondered more. This Painted Lady business was getting more interesting.

"I guess you are right, however. I'll send a hawk to the nearest big city. But their problems are still theirs. I'm not going to waste our important resources on them."

'Charming fellow,' Danny thought sarcastically. But, you take what you can get. It's not like he could destroy the factory and cast them off.

In the night he went out. Flying straight to the secluded village, Phantom planned to encounter that spiritual being, wondering what kind of conversation they would have. Maybe it would be like with Wa Shi Tong. Hopefully not. Danny wanted some rest, without extra fighting.

The place looked even more dead at night. Only the water splashed against the wooden stakes which held the settlement above. Danny stood there, looking around and relying on his ghost sense. He could still sense the spirits as well. But, despite the faint trace of spiritual energy, there was nothing.

"So all of this is..."

Then Danny stopped abruptly at seeing someone. There was a person. A woman, obviously. With a long straw hat which also hid the face with a veil cloth. There was also a hood, which made seeing the face even harder. The red clothes and body paint finished the appearance. Raising his eyebrow Phantom approached her from behind, as the woman was putting a small basket near the doors. Danny coughed.

She jumped in surprise, spinning around. Danny only grinned.

"For a 'spirit' you are way too easy to scare, lady."

The Lady just stared at him with wide blue eyes. Fear was evident in her face. "Wh-who are you?"

"All ghosts and spirits alike seemed to know so far," Phantom chuckled. "Then again, you are neither."

"What do you mean?" She glared at him.

"I can sense another being from my world for miles. Thus you aren't fooling me, girl. I give you credit, though. Smart cover, no soldier will be brave enough to go against our kinds. You look somewhat familiar, though...have we met?"

She was silent, showing with her entire being that she wanted to get away. It didn't go unnoticed. Phantom just stared at her, that nagging feeling of familiarity was still present. She tried to run, but hit the green barrier. The hat fell off.

"No, seriously, I did see you somewhere, I can swear."

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Oh, don't pretend to be helpless..."

Then Danny's eyes widened in shock, before he laughed.

"Oh, didn't know you have come all this way, Katara," he smirked at seeing her frightened expression. "Where is the rest of your little gang?"

"Like I will tell you," Katara spat, realizing that her cover was now pointless. She glanced somewhere for a split second.

"Oh, common, I couldn't care less about what you do nowadays."

Phantom approached her, his eyes lowing with neon color.

"Oh, let me guess," Danny chuckled. "You are trying to get to the capital in time for the eclipse."

"How do you know that?!"

Phantom kept grinning. "I had a couple of words with the professor locked within the library deep inside the desert. Poor naive fellow. Didn't even realize to whom he told this."

Suddenly he looked to the side and swiped his hand. Immediately another person was tossed forward from his cover, falling face down. He got up on his feet instantly and took a battle stance. There was a headband on his face...wait a moment.

"Well, well, dip me in butter and call me biscuit if it's not an Avatar of all people!" Phantom laughed.

Aang and Katara looked at each other, not knowing what to do. They would have attacked, but then Danny stopped laughing.

"Oh, we seem to be in a bit of a pickle," Phantom noted. "I don't know how the hell you are still up and running, not deep beneath the ground sharing a bed with calcium deprived skeletons. Neither do I care."

"You...don't?"

"Nope," Phantom smirked. "The princess will be more curious than I, but I won't tell."

"Why should we trust you and why are you here?"

Aang and Katara approached each other, obviously they were going to have a talk with each other afterwards. They were on high alert, but Phantom always was in advantage. They didn't even know his true power. He always acted so smug, it annoyed them.

"You can trust me because you have no choice. In a snap of the fingers I will vanish and by the morning the entire Fire Nation will know about this encounter. But, I am not doing that. I have my reasons for not telling."

"What reasons?"

"I shall not tell."

He could actually tell and buy some time for himself. But his wounded trust and pride overweighed that advantage in his mind.

"Wait, if you know about the day of the Black Sun..."

"Yes, the Fire Lord knows what you have in mind. Not my fault, Earth King spilled this, too," Danny shrugged. "Not only me, so he would have learned it anyway. So, what are you gonna do? Still go against the entire Fire Nation army, even if weakened for TEN MINUTES?"

"Why do you care?" Aang asked suspiciously.

Phantom chuckled and approached them. The younger teens edged away from him, but Danny managed to grab Aang's shoulder. Then he patted it.

"See here, Avatar. Many times I have said that I'm not your enemy, I'm not interested in your demise."

"You are a Ghost King," Aang responded. "Roku told me that ghosts are..."

"Vile and heartless creatures. Of course a spirit will be saying this. Didn't we have this conversation before? I might be mistaken. How nice it is to chat when nothing is pressing us, right?"

Indeed, they were unused to him being so nice. Not just in 'non-attacking' way, that smile of his wasn't exactly fake either.

"You know nothing about me," Danny continued. "You know nothing of ghosts because we have been into each other's throats for a while. Prejudices are like that. But I'm not going to bore you with this lecture. I need some time to unwind, I guess. In this infested and god-forgotten hole."

"Thanks to the factory made by your friends," Katara crossed her hands.

"I don't have living friends anymore. The last ones died years ago. Now I only have acquittances. And this isn't exactly a friendly visit. I have ordered to make some new things on this factory. The things I need for my little project. After I'm done, I shall leave this world."

"This factory destroys the nature, can't you see it? And the village suffers because of it," Katara scolded him.

"I know. And I am the one who has provided them with the viable medicine."

"It was you?" Their eyes widened.

They did hear Dock talking about some stranger who came there, healing the diseases.

"Why yes, it was," Danny smiled. "As much as I despise you, mortals...children, for instance, are innocent. They didn't deserve to die. You may do what you want with the factory, I do not care, because I've got what I wanted."

"And that would be..."

"The hardest metal this nation has to offer. Don't worry, no harm will come to you. Probably. Maybe I'll have to use my infernal army against you...but I'd rather not."

"And where is that army?"

"Behind the wall which separates the worlds. Now if only I could penetrate it," Phantom said dreamily.

"That's why you are making that thing," Aang came to realization.

"Nailed it, kiddo," Danny chuckled and looked away, at the foul expanse of the water. "It makes me wonder, you know...If someone else but me was the King, you would be faced with a much bigger threat."

"And what makes you unlike them?" The boy was now very interested in a conversation.

"My predecessor was a bloodthirsty tyrant. He was the one to subjugate the spirits. I just...don't care that much for controlling the Infinite Realms in their entirety. Both the Spirits and the Ghosts are very...secluded creatures. Forcing them into service is foolish and uncalled for."

"But why does it make you so approachable?"

"You are the champion of the spirits. And since there is no one to break in, I can tell you that I never had any intention of killing you."

"How do we know you aren't lying now?" Katara was still suspicious. Well, someone had to be, and Aang was still too trusting.

"Again, there is little you can do if I'm telling lies. If I wanted you dead..."

The temperature around suddenly plummeted downwards, and Phantom's current companions were shivering.

"I would have done so already."

"Can you quit it?" Aang exclaimed. "We aren't afraid, so what's the point?"

"You are asking a walking corpse to stop frightening people," Danny said dryly, before shrugging. "Have it your way."

The conversation went on, as the airbending kid kept asking questioning the person who was so knowledgeable in the world so close, yet so unknown to the Avatar. Sadly, Phantom knew more about the ghostly part than that of spirits. But it was nonetheless enlightening. Danny was also curious about what the boy could tell him. Katara just sat by and listened, watching Phantom with suspicion and utter dislike. It was already past midnight when they stopped.

"Well, I've got to go, I guess," Danny mumbled, standing up. "Try not to blow me up in the process."

"What do you mean?"

Phantom smirked. "Don't tell me you ain't going to sabotage the factory," he laughed.

Aang seemed to brighten at some idea. "Are you going to help?"

"Aang!" Katara exclaimed. "It could be a trap!"

"Oh, Katara, listen, don't you want to help these people by destroying it?"

"And kill the innocent workers in the process," Danny snorted. He really got as soft as before. Considering what he had been doing all these months, it was really odd and unusual. "I'll take everything I need and leave. Just be considerate of what you do."

With that Phantom saluted and vanished. He flew to the factory, packing all his belongings in his room into the bag. He had to depart quickly, otherwise all his work would be turned into nothingness. Once he got to the production line (through the walls, because there was no night shift and the doors were locked each evening), Phantom moved to the storage. He knew how exactly they looked like, and there they were. About three hundred kilos of metal. Danny knew he could carry them alone, if he could hold them together. So, since they were basically lists of alloy, he could stack them together one atop another and then carry them.

That's exactly what he did. Not able to carry to the shore all of them, he had to return a couple of times. As Phantom stacked the metal on the the beach, he heard some explosions. Danny sighed and decided that he'd better come back. Otherwise the hotheaded warden would blame everything on him. He could as well save the poor members of proletariat from being buried under the debris.

"Such bloodthirsty children," Phantom mumbled. It was war, he ultimately decided.

But maybe he should carry out the survivors.


	11. Chapter XI: Conversations

"Do not interrupt me, would you?" Danny told the worker, who approached him in a middle of a precise work.

In his hands he held a small metallic box, connected by the rubber pipe to a glass tube. It was the most vital part of his project, not a single flaw was allowed, it would ruin months of work. He used a small ethereal flame to mold the pieces together. Pathetic, compared to the infernal furnace the fire benders could create. The Crown's influence was limited, especially when it wasn't even in his possession. And he had an ice core, for goodness sake, the bigger amounts of fire hurt him still, no matter how hard he tried to wield the power over emerald flames.

Danny stared at the man, sizing him up and down, mutely waiting for a response from him.

"I-I'm terribly sorry, Your Majesty," he shifted. "The princess has ordered to remind you about the conversation she would like to have with you."

'Just marvelous,' Danny grumbled, putting the device on the table.

"And she sends a simple worker?" Phantom raised an eyebrow. "Not to offend, but it isn't exactly her style...fine, I'll pay her a visit in the evening at six. Make sure she knows about it. Somehow."

The man nodded and left, leaving Phantom alone to his thoughts. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. The half ghost had tried to prolong the meeting as far as possible, but to no avail. Only one day had passed since his return to the construction site. And already Azula knew about his return. That girl was extremely nosy for her own good, and it was extremely annoying that she had zero consideration of others' privacy. Deciding to distract himself for a while, Phantom returned to his meticulous work, while on the outside the workers kept turning a dug up hole into a metal covered hole. It was the first layer, and it was supposed to hold everything in place.

By the evening Danny had made a significant progress for a few hours. The half ghost made it to the castle at the specific time. Because making Azula lose her patience any further would spell doom upon him, that's for sure. Passing the guards, who by then had become used to the dead walking near them, Phantom got to her chambers. Now only a knock separated him from god knows what. He did just that, waiting for a response. Receiving a word, Danny entered the vast room.

Azula was there, sitting on her bed with her...quite attractive and dainty legs seen from under the crimson dress, crossed. She regarded her visitor with an unreadable expression. Danny wondered what was happening within the head of, supposedly, somewhat sociopathic princess. If his observations were correct and his knowledge of psychology, fueled by the limited knowledge given by his sister, was expansive enough. Phantom crossed his hands, more agitated than scared. And if he was the latter, it was only the fear for the fate of his project.

"Look who's blessed us with his visit," Azula stood up, her voice dripping with great displeasure.

"I was busy, princess," Danny shrugged, unwavering under the gaze. "Sorry. I forgot in the midst of my work."

"Learn this, when the princess tells you to, you obey, servant," she approached him and looked into his eyes.

"And I, once again, shall remind you that I am not your servant," Danny looked back.

Azula disliked this. She was used to everyone graveling at her feet at her single word. But that insolent ghost...

"For someone about to die again you are quite bold," smirked Azula.

That phrase made Phantom make ready for whatever she threw at him. He looked for the tiniest thing which could tell about the way she sought to use in order to dispose of the half ghost. A flame in her palms, or some poisoned dart glistening from some hidden place in her clothes, or maybe a blade hidden there as well. But there was none. Azula then chuckled at his tensed reaction and tapped on his chin from below. She then went past him, to the drawer, where a golden decanter was. She poured some liquid in a glass. It could be some form of poison, but Azula then drank it herself.

"Well?" She asked, looking around her shoulder at him. "No questions about it?"

"About what?"

Azula groaned. "Common, I know you are not as dense as you are trying to pretend."

She put down the glass and came back to him. All intimidation was lost due to the golden-eyed princess being shorter. Once again.

"I'll be blunt with you. Father wants you dead. Again."

Danny blinked, not being able to hide his surprise. The princess misunderstood the reason of his reaction.

"Yes, can you imagine?" Asked Azula with a note of mockery and pity.

"And you are telling me this because..."

She smiled. It was a bittersweet smile, which showed both her pride at being several steps ahead, and annoyance for her father.

"I'm afraid, that despite his talent of ruling," Azula began. "He cannot see the bigger picture in this particular case. Disposing of you will not give us anything, as you have been very useful. And most certainly will be."

"I'm not some toy of yours to be the judged. We used to be allies."

"Used to?" She chuckled. "Oh, don't try to play tough, Phantom. We both know that you aren't going to be the one to stop this cooperation. At the moment we are giving you everything, even having our factories destroyed in the process."

"If you are going to accuse ME now..."

Danny was immediately interrupted by her putting a finger on his lips.

"No, no. There is no gain for you, so I'm not judging. The warden has told me that...spirits have been involved, however."

"They do not obey me. Some do fear, ghosts do serve, and not even consistently. Most of them would like to get rid of me."

"You keep trying to defend yourself even though I am yet to accuse you. Where is your boisterous self?" She kept mocking him.

Azula didn't expect him to grab the edge of her clothes and lift her as easy as a feather duster.

"I am SICK of this games, Azula. That's. It."

He then dropped the princess on her legs, as she shot him a murderous glare, before taking a deep sigh and calming herself. It was a miracle how that hadn't escalated to a fight. On the other hand, she still wanted to see the full extent of the power Phantom was obviously holding back. Not when it was directed at her, however.

"There is no escaping it," Azula snorted. "You are too naive if you think that your subjects wouldn't do the same."

"Them I can handle."

She smirked once more. "Really now? How exactly? You do not murder, oh Lord of the Dead."

"There are many ways in our world to get rid of someone without violating my principles."

Azula only shook her head and chuckled. Danny was growing angry at being scolded like a child by some vile murderous brat.

"Have you brought me here just to sate your pride? If so, then I am leaving."

"To where?" The princess laughed, dropping on the bed again. "One snap of my fingers and your piece of metal will become just that."

She then stopped laughing and looked at him. Now her gaze showed something different — almost sympathetic one, which looked out of place on her face, like a fire underwater. She sighed.

"Look. Father has told me to do that. I'm not willing to do that, and I'm taking high risks here by pulling the time. I hope to at least get SOME appreciation. It was me who has persuaded him to let you continue."

Danny didn't want to feel guilty, he shouldn't. But he did, even though suspecting a foul play.

"And now I am held responsible for everything you do," Azula finished. "So if you have the tiniest bit of appreciation, do as I ask."

"And what would that be?"

"Simple. I need a continuation of OUR alliance."

Now it was Phantom's turn to smirk. "What is that I hear? Someone is going against her daddy?"

"Shut it," the princess demanded. "No, I am not. I am already an heiress."

"Don't tell me you haven't been thinking about speeding up the process," Danny glared, crossing his hands.

Enraged, she got up from the bed as they both exchanged baleful glares. "How. Dare you!" She yelled.

Flames jumped between her fingers. Although retaining his confidence, Phantom was surprised at her violent reaction. She was holding back her anger with a lot of effort, obviously, but just as the fire in her palm, the princess was very volatile. Danny easily conjured a shield, protecting him from the blast, but the scorch mark was left behind.

"Alright, stop," he raised his hands. "I'm very sorry. We both are at the edge. Let's just calm down and start this conversation over."

Thank goodness she listened to him. The fire subdued and the princess calmed down. She was still glaring at him.

"Don't you ever put up this topic."

"Promise," Danny gave a 'scout's honor' sign.

How intriguing, he thought. For once Azula let herself slip and reveal her true feelings, for that reaction was impossible to fake on spot, even for someone as her. So she did actually care for someone. Otherwise she wouldn't have gotten so angry at his assumption. That certainly was the news.

"Alright," Danny began. "What exactly do you need, Your Highness?"

Azula sighed. "I will be blunt. Go on with your plans. Make that portal. And then you shall provide the army I need."

"But for what?" Danny asked in a genuine confusion. "You've won. The Avatar is dead. Why do you need me?"

"First of all, it is not over. We both know that they are going to attack soon," Azula leaned against the wall. "And if you prove your worth there, this is how you can pay for what I've done for you. You will not be my responsibility anymore."

Damn, that girl knew what buttons she should press, Phantom realized. Applying to the sense of greed was pointless, as he had none. Lust for power? No arrogance to be found, neither he was eager to gain anything which would only burden him. No, Azula pressed on his righteousness and honor. Phantom could not retort to this, he was obligated before the princess now. What a peculiar position he found himself in. Danny looked at her strangely. Yes, she was right, he could not let her face the consequences for risking god knows what for him. No matter what he had thought of her before. Stupid complex.

"Alright," he sighed, before raising a finger. "One time," Phantom put up his condition. "Then your world shall never hear of me again."

"How quickly your plans have changed," Azula noted, tilting her head.

"I had planned to keep cooperation BEFORE your father decided to stab me in the back. Mortals," he mumbled.

"You don't like us much," the princess kept stating what had already been known.

"To be honest? Yes. Have you not done this thing to me, you would have been nothing different."

"Oh, so I am?" She smirked. "Still friends?"

"More or less."

'I still do not fully trust you,' Phantom added mentally.

"But I have to rely on someone," Danny smiled. "Otherwise I would have just gone nuts long ago."

He did not realize how ironic this phrase would sound in the distant future.

Azula snorted. "Well, believe in whatever you want. So we do have a deal."

"Indeed. In exchange for letting me continue I shall help you and your nation once more."

"Wonderful!" She smiled. "Then you don't mind coming for a trip," the princess added dryly.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Azula rolled her eyes. "Father said that we need rest in a tone which leaves no room for arguments."

"Surely that's not all."

"Father hosts a meeting so important that he doesn't want us to be present."

Why did she say that? Azula herself didn't know why. Probably knowing that it was the last person to blurt this out.

"Hm...what a nice way to get rid of us," Danny mumbled. "I have my project to do. I cannot..."

"It was never the option. Probably father hopes that I'll kill you there," Azula's voice dripped with sarcasm as she was loosing out of the window at the lush garden.

"Without destroying everything around? I'm afraid that's not possible."

They both chuckled.

"Anyways," the princess continued. "I'll make sure that no harm comes to your work in our absence. I'm not that eager to go myself. Incognito, to make matters worse. Which will be complicated, considering that every person knows you by rumors. I almost feel insulted."

"Oh, please, how many lads with raven hair and blue eyes have they seen?"

"In the Fire Nation? None. Especially dressed as horribly as you are."

"It hurts. But I guess you are right," Danny said slowly. "Some do recognize, some don't. But I cannot change the way I look. I can't just come out in my ghostly appearance."

"Yes. We'll just hope that nothing happens on this atrocious journey."

"You have just doomed us all, princess."

This night he was somewhat calm, even going as far as sleeping on the roof of the palace, not back at the construction site. Somewhere inside he did suspect that all of their discussion had been nothing but a play on her part. But for the most part a wave of relief had passed over him. He tended to give second chances. Even though she hadn't technically done anything to him yet, it just had been his assumption. It only added more reasons to put at least some degree of trust in her.

But his peaceful slumber was interrupted in the midst of night. For some reason he did wake up, he didn't know why. But he was not destined to go back to sleep. The dark moonless sky was above him, and the lit city was below. Some people there went on with their lives even at night. But as it was getting closer to the palace, the more dim the lighting was getting, as it eventually died under the tall walls separating the royal hold from the lower folk. Danny tossed and turned, fruitlessly attempting to go back to sleep. Finally Phantom got sick of it, standing up and deciding to take a stroll in order to get tired enough.

As he was about to descend to the ground, he suddenly noticed something. A lonely figure going from the palace. Judging from the constant glances around, that person did not want to get caught amidst the ordeal. Phantom resisted a snort. The guy didn't bother to look up. But the half-ghost's curiosity was solely on that person now. It could be a thief, but there was nothing indicating anything of the sort. Then it occurred to Phantom that the man could come from within, not the outside. Danny vanished from sight, now following the person while flying right above his head, hidden under the hood.

After getting out of the palace grounds, unseen by the guards, the two kept going through the city. Phantom at first thought that he was going to end up in some shack on the edge of that volcano the settlement was in, but no, his expectations turned out to be misplaced. The man turned out to be going to the prison of all places. Danny resisted making a joke about the civil obedience. But he had to get a bit aside to snicker. All the while trying not to lose the sight of the person he had been stalking. After having a short talk with the guard, unheard by the half ghost, the person came inside.

Danny flew right through the wall. Aaand he lost the sight in that crappy, foul and smelly labyrinth. Sighing, Phantom began his search. Why did he even bother? It was probably nothing, why would he waste the time which could be spent on the blissful sleep? Just as he was about to end this pointless, invisible search, one of the doors slid open, and that person emerged from the inside. Danny thought he had caught the sight of the burnt skin. His eyes widened. Could that possibly be...

Phantom decided against calling out. He could as well make a mistake by doing so, making the things awkward. Besides, he could get the info from the one Zuko had been talking with. Danny phased inside the cell.

The room was not that big, but given to only one person the place was spacious, even though some part of the room was separated by the metal bars. There stood an old man. The old man Phantom had had only a brief chance to talk with. Iroh had seen better days in his life, obviously. His long grey beard and hair were greasy and unkept, he was dressed in the rags the color of which could hardly be determined in the next to nonexistent lighting. Danny quietly landed on the ground, before dropping the invisibility.

"Not your best day, huh?" Phantom asked half sympathetically. He didn't have any reasons to dislike him.

Because of the familiar voice Iroh unnoticeably glanced back, seeing the half ghost of all people standing behind the bars. At first he said nothing. Phantom sat and patiently waited.

"A silent vow?" He asked, tilting his head.

"Why are you here?" The old man asked quietly.

"Dunno. I've just followed your nephew. If that's who I think it is. Not that I'm going to tell anyone."

Silence. Danny waited. Nothing happened, and both were sitting in silence. Whatever he and Zuko had been talking about had ruined the talkative mood. Or the latter's very presence. Phantom stood up. He had to sleep that night, because he wanted to spend the following day working. The day after was the beginning of his trip.

"I guess I'll go," Danny shrugged. "We can play this game for a long while, pal. Here I come with but an intention to talk with the man who seems to be knowledgeable enough," he stood up. "Why does every human has to be so irritating?"

"You have been human, too."

Danny was surprised at receiving an actual response.

"Yes," he said slowly. "And I admit, I still do cling to my human self sometimes. Because I know what will happen otherwise. However, humans have been treacherous and unthankful bastards to me except for the very rare exceptions."

Iroh now could hear the bitterness in his voice and see it in his eyes. Might as well have a talk. The boy did no wrong to him.

"You are unnatural, that's why they do it. Humans do fear such things."

"Oh, don't you tell me this bullshit. I thought so at first, and where has it got me?" Phantom pointed around himself. "I tried to prove my good intentions and..." Danny sighed, crossing his hands. "They ignored all my attempts and heroics. I don't know why I have ended up here. Maybe Clockwork woke me up somehow."

Contemplating this option, the half ghost glanced at the old man. "Then again, why would he want this..."

Iroh looked at him in surprise. "The Master of Time himself?"

"Yes, that meddling Stopwatch has his fingers in everything what happens to me for a while. Even though he doesn't do anything of significance on the first glance. If only...nevermind."

"So you know him."

Danny snorted. "No one can really know him. This guy is as inexplicit as it gets. But, he is an acquaintance of mine. Tasked with making sure I will not wreck havoc upon two worlds. What I'm doing now hardly counts as the tiniest ounce of the genocide I can, potentially, commit."

"You don't want this."

"Obviously," Phantom said sarcastically. "I don't kill...intentionally. With all my efforts I cannot prevent the collateral damage. Much like the Avatar's friends. But unlike them I do realize what I'm doing, not that I like it. Everything is war-like," Danny stated bluntly. "All is fare in love and war. Just a couple of days before I witnessed our 'enemies' and 'the good guys' blow up a factory full of innocent workers. To stop the production of alloys and help the village suffering from the pollution. I don't blame them. They have their priorities straight...and trying to save everyone will result in saving none...I know it too well."

"It's good to see that you hold to some morals. But ask yourself, do you really think that what you are doing right now is a good thing? The people are suffering from the actions of my brother, and you have become a tool of his. Thrown away or not. Even if you do not care for us, mortals...think of how it would look like if it happened to your kind. Think of the true nature of what has happened, not to whom. You do not wish to help us, yet you help one mortals to slaughter the others. I am not judging you, boy. You don't strike me as something vile, from our brief conversation. You are bitter, angry at the world which hasn't been accepting of you. Convincing you otherwise will probably be hard, and the guards are soon to come here. But this isn't the world which has faulted you. And even if I cannot promise that it will be different this time, I ask you to at least give it a chance, Your Majesty. Everyone deserves a second chance."

This very phrase rang in Danny's head even at the moment he left, and it haunted his thoughts in his sleep that night.


	12. Chapter XII: The Beach

A.N. Alright, guys, this chapter needs your reviews a lot. Cause I'm practicing for my university project which needs certain artistic effort and I practice here. Be critical in terms of artistic value primarily

"Too much sun," Danny complained. "My skin is being ravaged by the UV rays!"

"Who is the drama queen now," Mai responded sarcastically, looking at the half ghost trying to shield his eyes from the sun.

Phantom just mumbled something inaudible.

They were aboard the wooden barge, which was taking the teens to the Ember Island — one of the most fancy resorts of the Fire Nation. Danny could already see the land of rich brats all around. Despite this and being distracted from his work, Phantom actually seemed one of the most enthusiastic, or better say the least disappointed. Ty Lee was just as cheerful, happy to get a rest from...basically doing nothing at all. Danny wasn't sure what exactly the girl entertained herself with. Gymnastics, most probably. Come to think of it, the only times he saw her was when she bumped into him along with, for some reason, annoyed princess. It was like she intentionally did that.

But, all aggravating factors aside, Phantom liked the spot deep inside. There had been few occasions he had been on a beach, thanks to his parents preferring to go to some god forsaken place which is 'haunted' rather than enjoy warm sands and a cool sea. Unless the beach was haunted, too, but it happened only once. There was an aqua park in his town, but that was a meager replacement, considering how miserable and undermanned it was. Not to mention that he didn't live in Florida, there were cold days when it was simply inaccessible. So, Danny decided that he would try to relax for the first time in a very long while.

'Try' was the key word, as his conversation with Iroh was still fresh in his mind, nibbling on his thoughts and leaving nothing but itself inside his skull. A second chance, he said. It was as if they all knew what buttons to press in order to get what they wanted from him. If so, how come he had let them read him like an open book? This Danny was not aware of. A second chance, something he had been granted by the Time Master. He didn't fully understand his words. How could this be considered a second chance if he had lost everything in but a single day? It would have been, if everything was changed back, but it wasn't. He had considered such philosophical issue for months afterwards, and now it came back again, showing its smug head like a mole climbing out of its warm hideout. Ignorance is bliss indeed.

"Hey."

Danny blinked at Azula, who seemed just as unhappy as the rest. She leaned against the metal railing.

"Why spacing out?"

"Project," Phantom lied. "I hope that they won't break anything in my absence."

The princess snorted. "They are told not to resume their work while we are here."

"You are the suppleness itself, princess."

She snorted. "As long as everything goes properly," Azula subtly reminded him.

Yes, as if they could forget the conditions of their current cooperation. It was a debatable issue as to whether or not both were now dependent on the other. Surely the Fire Lord is not foolish enough to do anything too horrible to his heiress for this act of fruitful disobedience. If so, then Azula was in the better position than him. Still, there was a certain level of dependence on him. It was somewhat reassuring. He knew perfectly that it hadn't been done as a part of the Fire Lord's hidden scheme. It was all her doing.

Finally the barge pulled towards the shore, many red-roofed houses came into view, their white walls stood out from the black and brown surface of the island, formed and shaped by volcanoes, like the rest of this archipelago. The people were walking at the shore, at the moment just small colorful dots on the distance. Phantom had heard that the volcanic soil is good for plants, so it wasn't surprising to see some palms here and there. Somewhere on a distance he could even see a grass covered landscape. No beach in sight, but the flow of the masses made it clear where they should go in the future. Everything was perfect and the salty wind of the ocean poured into his nose, refreshing him from the inside out. Still, despite the beauty of nature, the sun was killing him. Danny retreated under a minuscule wooden structure, a canopy, where the rest was sitting.

"Good lord above," Danny moaned, falling on a crimson velvet sofa. "So hot."

"Maybe you shouldn't wear warm clothes?" Zuko asked, looking away from the sea and at him.

Phantom was still wearing his black NASA hoodie. The woven clothes did not bode with the heat.

"I'm not leaving it," Danny said firmly, sweating like crazy. "And I have no spare clothes at the moment," he looked at Azula. "SOMEONE insisted on sending the belongings in a different boat beforehand."

"Then take it off," Ty Lee raised her eyebrow, suddenly emerging near the half ghost. "We are going to the beach, after all. Nothing out of ordinary."

"Not gonna happen," Phantom grumbled.

"Then how do you intend to go swimming?" Mai asked.

"Who said anything about me swimming?"

The boat came to a stop at a pierce. Danny was glad to avoid the conversation. As he came to the edge of the ship, he was greeted by a more terrifying sight. That two old ladies were back, dressed in the horrific pink robes and disheartening straw hats. And they had been waiting for the visitors. The prospect of sharing the house with them was even more terrific than a prospect of inviting Pariah Dark to karaoke. At least in the last case the imminent death and destruction would have ended the suffering.

"Welcome to Ember Island, kids," they said simultaneously, much to Phantom's ever growing uneasiness.

As the teens' eyes drifted a bit further, they saw the house where they would be resting. And boy, was it a putrid atrocity on the outside. Grey, battered and mercilessly savaged by time. The prayers that that wasn't the house of their staying, considering that the royal family did own a villa somewhere on the island. But nope, they were going straight to that crime against architecture itself. Danny's mood was just like the others'. Even Ty Lee seemed disgruntled by this.

"What do you recon is older, these two or the house?" Phantom asked Azula in a whisper.

"Hard to say," she responded, seeming to be in thought. "They were just as old during father's childhood."

On the inside, the place looked...better. Depends on what you consider a tremor-inducing perpetration of color and a tolerable decoration made by the senile ladies in the best of their abilities. Nonetheless, there was a lot of light purple and pink, soft furniture, a short-legged table in the centre, pillows scattered all around the relatively small living room and atop everything. In the corners stood two wooden shelves with the neglected dusty mirrors, in the far end, near the exit to the balcony, was a box filled with many additional pieces of bedding. Should have closed it. The walls were choked with trinkets, odds and ends, such as dried starfish and shells, glued to the wooden support beams. There was even a glaive hanging from the rusty nail. How it got into the old ladies' house was a question of the day. A flight of staircase going upwards and to the empty doorframe. Finally, there was that smell which the prince knowledgeably named 'a smell of old ladies'.

The teens went around the room, examining the place. Phantom was really interested in the weapon on the wall, or if it was real or just a fraud. Judging from the weight, Danny doubted that it was even made of metal. Mai and Zuko examined the decorations, while Azula just rested on the bed, staring at the ceiling with an expression of thorough boredom. Ty Lee noticed a picture on the wall, old by the seems, as the paint had lost its palette of colors for the most part. The image showed two young women in the bras and swimming panties posing in a less than chaste pose. But no cardinal there judging this, so it wasn't a debauchery either. Honestly, nothing to be concerned about. So what if they just put their butts together.

"Who are these beautiful women?" Ty Lee asked.

"Can't you guess?" The old ladies asked. "It's Lo and Li."

They copied the pose on the picture, obviously implying that that used to be them. Danny wanted to forget what he had seen, but knew it was impossible. Should have kept examining the fake sword, it did not torture, it only insulted the art of smithing. Zuko resisted an urge to vomit.

Not a second later Ty Lee was already on the soft purple mattress.

"Oh, I like it, it's very soft," she said.

The girl was the only person to remain optimistic despite everything. The rest just looked at her like she was some sort of exotic animal with a love for furniture made in the deepest pit of hell by a colorblind demon.

"We know that you don't like being here against your will," the old ladies continued. "But you should keep your minds open and you shall see the beauty of the island."

One of them took a rock from the table. It was absolutely smooth from the seems.

"Like the waves washing away the footprints on the sand, Ember Island gives everyone a clean slate. Ember Island reveals the true you."

Azula yawned without a sign of involvement into the philosophical conversation. Danny rubbed the back of his neck.

"Time to hit the beach!"

The old ladies revealed their swimming outfits. What had Phantom done to deserve this?

The beach itself was interesting. Formed in the place like this, part of it was black, as sand is basically a dissolved rock. It was coarse, dry and it got everywhere. And it was just as black as the volcanoes in some places. The group was dressed properly, except for Danny, who was wearing simple crimson robes, not at all suitable for enjoying the azure waves or even the insufferable sun. Just as he had said, albeit it was unclear what was he GOING to do there. The place was crowded, but not like Walmart on Black Friday, no one was going to stomp on you just to get a fifth refrigerator. Just a simple, peaceful, steadily-paced morning. The children played with the sand — the only opponent of glitter in terms of being aggravating. The adults were chatting on their places, under the sun-umbrellas and on the big towels, enjoying a well deserved rest, envying the locals, who enjoyed this place for the whole year.

Danny actually caught some girls' glances. Huh, so not only his ghost form was attractive to girls, good to know.

The first thing which Azula did was to stomp on some children's sand castle. The little rascals ran off crying.

"Jeez, princess," Danny mumbled. "What next, you take candies from them?"

The raven haired girl just huffed. It's not like she couldn't assert dominance over worthier people. Their exchange was interrupted once they heard some fuss behind them. Turning around, the two noticed how multiple boys were harassing Ty Lee. Well, maybe it was an exaggeration, seeing as they were basically willingly putting themselves in a state of subservience. Seeing this, the rest of the group was in two minds about what to do.

"Shall we intervene?" Danny asked.

Azula rolled her eyes. "Let her be...oh, look, the lovebirds are gone, too," she said dryly.

Indeed, Mai and Zuko were nowhere in sight. Just when had this this happened? And now two royals were left to themselves. The princess took off to the shore after tasking Danny with looking after their belongings, seeing as he wasn't going to swim anyways. Phantom could not argue with her reasoning. Setting up the place, he watched Azula walk away, but not in direction of the general crowd. Danny guessed he shouldn't have expected anything less. Lying on a wide piece of cloth, Phantom closed his eyes and relaxed, putting the hands under his head.

Before getting bored ten minutes later. No rest for the wicked, especially those who had enjoyed a blissful sleep a couple of hours ago. Sighing, Danny got into sitting position, rubbing his eyes, for they had become unused to the bright light. Still none of the others was in sight. Well, that crowd of hormonal teenagers was a hint as to where Ty Lee was. Phantom decided to take a walk, leaving a weak invisible duplicate behind. He would never get used to the feeling of seeing two places at once. It was some Interstellar kind of mind breaking. And Danny could not explain this incomprehensible condition to any human being. Maybe he could ask Ty Lee to stay there instead. So he went to her.

It was more complicated than he had hoped it would be. The mob around her looked ready to stomp out that annoying bastard who dared to distract them from their most productive work of gazing upon the body of the, unquestionably, quite attractive girl. With the use of his unnatural-please-nerf-it strength he managed to get through and call for the girl. Ty Lee got up like a spring from the mattress.

"Oh, Danny what is it?" She asked. The others shot him murderous glares.

"Well, I've got to go, and seeing as you are pretty much unoccupied..."

She blinked. "Okay then, we'll change shifts later. But I'll need to get my things there."

"Don't worry," Danny snorted, "These folks will be more than eager to help."

With his consciousness as clear as a toddler's tear, Phantom started roaming around the beach with no direct purpose in mind. Azula was nowhere to be seen even still. So Danny took up a task of finding her. Most probably because he had nothing else to wile away the time. Phantom found her in the water near a black rock. Secluded from the rest, but not exactly unnoticeable. Danny sat on the rock, unnoticed.

"So that's your secluded spot?" He asked with a smirk.

The princess looked at him with a non amused expression.

"Has been."

"How is the water?"

"Aren't you supposed to watch our things?"

"Ty Lee has got it covered. By the way, haven't you noticed that she has been acting...differently since Ba Sing Se?"

"Differently how?" Azula gave all signs her body could come up with to show that this conversation better be over soon.

"I mean, she has been bumping into me more often."

"Goodness, you are not telling..."

"She has been with you every time."

"Then it is nothing. She was just showing her new moves."

"So this was a commodify?"

"She must have gotten an inspirational streak. Now it does happen quite often."

"If you say so," Danny stood on his feet, an awkward silence settling between them.

"Honestly, what is it with you being so unwilling to get into the water?"

"Coming from the Fire Nation princess," Phantom mumbled. "I will get my clothes wet. I'm not getting there."

Smirking invisibly, and seeing that Danny was not looking, Azula ignited a small flame in her fingers. A small gust was sent at him, Phantom yelped, more of surprise than of pain, jumping slightly. The watery surface of the rock did not help the matter, before he fell off, straight into the clean water. The big splash encompassed the laughing princess. Danny got to the surface and gasped for the air he didn't need that much. He glared at Azula.

"Not funny," Danny stood on the underwater stones, the water now reaching his chest. His clothes were now soaking wet.

"Oh, really? It doesn't seem like that."

Phantom suddenly smirked, before running a hand through his raven hair. He just swiped his hand and the water hit her in the midst of her laughter. Azula coughed and glared back at him, before snorting herself.

"I'm not going to buy it."

"Buy what?" Danny grinned innocently, shooting the water with his finger.

A couple of seconds later a splash fight was somehow initiated. Danny might have cheated at some point, turning intangible with a smug expression as the jets of water flew through him.

"Not fair!" Azula exclaimed.

"Look who is talking!" Danny responded jokingly, splashing at her. "You have invoked a worthy opponent. Our battle will be..."

He coughed as the water got into his lungs, earning another fit of laughs from the princess. After some while the battle for dominance over the tiny piece of water expanse was over, once the either side mutely signed a temporary peace. Both were chuckling at their little exchange. Phantom got out of the water by floating out and landing on the dreaded rock. He then smirked at the princess and shrugged off the water in a literal sense of word. With a splash beneath his feat he remained completely dry. Azula huffed.

"Cheating bastard," she said dryly.

"Well, I died for it, so..." Danny left the sentence hanging. "I'll be going, then."

Azula got around the stone and went out of the seawater. She squeezed her undone hair, not possessing such convenient power of her friend. Friend, eh...

"Bring me something to drink, would you?" She said.

Danny only grinned and she got the message. "Please," Azula deadpanned.

Phantom chuckled and went towards the local shop. A good property of metal money. They did not sop after a while of swimming. Danny just popped a couple of coins on the stand of the cheerful seller, who gave him two glasses of juice. He himself was thirsty, and the sun had just got to its zenith on the bluest cloudless sky. This time it wasn't very complicated to find her. Azula was standing near the circular volleyball court, examining it with a look too familiar to the half ghost. An interesting interpretation of the game. Danny handed the glass to the princess. Azula mutely took it, her golden eyes jumping from one player to another.

"I didn't know that you have volleyball."

"It's kuai ball," the princess didn't spare him a glance.

"Seems the same to me. You know, the shape of the ball, played on the beach...these players aren't the best ones, though."

"That girl with stupid pigtails shows a hesitation before she strikes. Because of some fear, probably induced in childhood."

"Her buddy she is speaking with has a lousy stance on constant matter. A little strike from the side and he is on the ground."

"On the other side there is a guy who hits the ball so hard that he thinks that no retaliation shall come," Azula continued, finding herself pleased talking with someone who understood her way of thinking. No one else did so.

"Aand he scores an out!" Danny finished with a note of a sports announcer in his voice. No explanation was needed as he accidentally spilled the juice on the ground. He sighed at his loss.

"Hm..." Azula rubbed her chin. "We shall be next. Get the rest here."

This time Danny did not ask for the magic word, quickly getting the rest of their group together. For some reason, Zuko decided to show off, in one swipe taking off his robe, showing his quite decent chest. The girls moaned from the sidelines. Danny just huffed quietly, standing in his set spot, as Azula explained their tactics. And Jesus, it was like she had planned to win a battle of Leipzig or something. Their opponents had to postpone it a little bit. Phantom jumped as Ty Lee materialized near him.

"Who is the ghost here, you or me?!" Danny whisper yelled.

"Oops, sorry. Are you going to be comfortable enough wearing this? They aren't exactly fitting for games."

Indeed, they were long, lousy, easy to get in all places and thwart any attempt to make a gracious move. Yet, Phantom did not bulge.

"Oh, common," Azula rolled her eyes. "I need the team be in a proper shape, so take them off."

"Nope. Eager to see what's beneath, princess?" Danny mocked.

Azula actually reddened. Whether from anger or something else, that remained to be discovered.

"Do you have some embarrassing birthmark or something?" Zuko raised his eyebrow, implying that it was a joke.

"Eh...yes?"

He heard a giggle, which at that moment was like a harrowing wailing of demons bringing doom, destruction and nudity to his torso. In but a split motion the robes were taken off. The silence fell, accompanied by some gasps and Ty Lee's giggles, which subdued the second she saw the horror, hidden within the ripped, enviable muscle structure, herself.

Not a single piece of flesh on the undead teen's body was present. His low-left side showed a major burn, almost as horrible as Zuko's over his eye. A little higher were three claw marks of some terrible beast, hugging his waist from the level of bellybutton to the armpit, from the left pectoral part to the blade bone. Across his back was a major wound, inflicted by a sword, a deep scar telling the story of a fight with a spine fracture as its bloody result. Even his hands up to the elbows, even a bit further to the forearms, were not spared from whatever onslaught brought upon him. His right arm had a long scar from the cut, judging from the ravaged exterior the blade had had edges. The top right part of the chest had a frostbite, one of the oldest ones and quite small. Considering how hideous and chilling, no pun intended, black and dead flesh was, it was somewhat a relief. The rest was covered in the lesser injuries, like the pestilent flowers in the burned down meadow, vandalized by barbarous tourists, but having left the reminders. One wound, however, stood apart from the rest. Precise, healed better than the other blade wounds, showing the signs of multiple stitches being made and reapplied. It had a shape of letter 'Y'.

Phantom glared at the sole reason of the entire ordeal.

"I...think you can put it back," Azula suggested, shocked for the first time in a long while. To see so many on one body...

"Oh, no," Danny's glaze for the eyes peered into her. "You asked, so feast your eyes now!" He shouted, opening his arms widely.

In his theatrics Phantom turned to the opposing team, which had dropped the ball from their shock.

"You! Start playing and move on!" He called. "No less I am capable to kick your asses."

The game did begin, but Phantom was now the center of attention. Different reactions from all sorts of people. The indignant folks preferred to ignore him on purpose, only showing the lack of this same ignorance in the first place. Caring parents did the right thing, shielding their children's eyes and innocence. For none of this wounds could be inflicted by accident. Some girls paid more attention to the well-built body, but their eyes always fell on one tear on the skin or another. Except for the most radical ones, who actually found the scars hot, the ladies were then looking away. The males were curious as to where the massacre had happened.

But only the royal team was concentrated on the game, playing as one organism, swiftly kicking back and assaulting the enemy team, too distracted to pose any threat. Strike after strike, as they neared the victorious tenth point. In a final blow Azula put her entire strength, even imbuing her bending into it effectively turning a rubber ball into a cannon ball so powerful than it just blazed the top of the net and left a mark on the sand, as if it was a meteor falling on the ground. The net was on fire.

"You worms cannot even hope to be victorious over us!" Azula gloated loudly and triumphantly as the net was reducing to ashes.

It was a decisive victory ten to zero. No chance whatsoever. The princess looked at her friends.

"Good job," she said, her mood having changed in a split second.

"Hey there..."

Everyone looked to the side, while Danny went to the edge of the field to finally put back his robes. He hid his body beneath, returning to the group, seeing them chat with two blokes. They walked off, and Danny was befuddled.

"What did I miss?" He asked.

"We are going to the party this evening," Azula looked at him with a smirk. But it then fell. "So this is why you are so secretive about it."

Danny crossed his hands. "Not necessarily in death you find peace," he mumbled.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ty Lee asked, clearly ashamed of her past actions.

"No," Phantom said firmly. "What was that about the party?"

Later that evening everyone was dressing up properly for the party. Danny wanted to stay in his hoodie, but the girls put it somewhere no dead or alive could find his belongings. So, Phantom departed wearing his robes. The group went to the fanciest house around, when the sun disk was halfway hidden beneath the horizon. The cool evening breeze was really refreshing after the hot day. Danny liked the way the wind made his hair flow neatly. His posing made the others amused to several degrees. Finally the group went up to the doors, before Azula knocked on the door. It slowly creaked as the head peeped out. It was the same guy from the beach, with the raven hair tied in a high bun. He looked confused.

"Uhm...you are really early," he said. "No one is here yet."

"You said that the party is going from dusk to dawn, so here we are," The princess smiled.

Danny blinked. She sounded awfully cheerful.

"It's just an expression," the guy deadpanned.

"We are the perfect party guests, we arrive early and being late is inexcusable."

Chan, as his name was, gestured to come inside. The place was really well furnished, but it could certainly use a little more light. Many pictures hung on the walls, of a pure asian style of art. A long table filled with foods stood in the center of the room, the ceiling of which were held by the columns. Ah, and there were banners of the Fire Nation. What a way to be patriotic. Danny guessed that his daddy was some well positioned figure.

"Look, my dad is an admiral. He doesn't know about me throwing this party, so try not to mess this up," Chan warned.

So that left the question answered. The host was about to go do his own things, when Azula stopped him.

"Your clothes are sharp," she noted. "Careful, they are sharp enough to puncture the hull of an empire-class battleship, leaving thousands to drown at sea," the princess continued with an ever growing excitement in her voice. "Because...they are so sharp," she pointed at his clothes.

"Yeah...right."

Danny snickered. Was that her attempt at flirting? If so, then it was horrible even by his standards.

Soon the hall was filled to the brim with all sorts of young people, eager for a chat or two. Or even many, many more. Phantom tried to begin a conversation with anyone, but the people were put off guard by his awkward attempt and were obviously aware of his...unusual markings, so they tried to politely get away. Although Danny tried not to show it, he was pissed so much that he wanted to snap their necks, exasperated at his unsuccessful attempts, sad about being left like this just because he had gone through the trials and survived. What was the justification for such heinous behavior? None. Sighing, Phantom went to the bowl with some, probably alcoholic drink. He took a cup which in no way was made for about one third of the liter. People just watched in shock how the half ghost just gulped down the drink in but a couple of takes. He had a lead stomach.

After satisfying his need for unnecessary hedonism and failing miserably, Danny shook his head and picked an apple. He was hungry, but not eager to touch the food on the table still. Phantom was lost, both in the middle of the room, and in his thoughts. Like a church bell at noon, his mind was ringing, with each strike bringing up another memory. He had been on such kind of parties before, ever void of any true feelings. They may smile, they may laugh and talk to you, but on the inside each wants to get as far as they can, unless you pose some value. On one day Danny did learn the value of what is a true friendship and what is just a shallow parody of it. Heh, shallow. Sam used to love this word. But to what category shall his current relation with the group be called, he did not know.

Danny just hid in the dark part of the room, where he could be unbothered. But soon his blissful solitude was interrupted.

"What are you doing?" The princess asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Dunno," Phantom leaned against the wall. "Maybe I was about to solve the meaning of existence. Was there something you needed?"

"Not really..."

"I saw you talking with Ty Lee. And she cried in the process," Danny kept the conversation going.

"I just...overreacted. It's alright now..." Azula seemed to deeply contemplate her future words. "Look. You are a guy, right?"

"How did you guess?" Danny asked sarcastically, with his eyes wide open.

Azula reddened. "Shut up and listen," she asked in a frustrated voice.

Phantom chuckled at seeing her like this. Maybe he should make her look like a blushing girl, not a princess capable of murder, more often. He raised his hands.

"I just need...an advice."

"On what?"

"I don't have much experience with this kind of interaction. What do you guys like?"

Phantom blinked. He then held back a laughter. "Are...are you asking ME for RELATIONSHIP advice?"

"What's wrong with it?" Azula narrowed her eyes.

"Prin...Azula. My first girlfriend was possessed by a jealous ghost just to enact revenge on her boyfriend. My second girlfriend tried to kill me again. My third...never mind. My point is, I'm not the one to ask."

The princess growled. "Just tell me what the boys like in girls."

"It varies, I guess. And who is your prince charming? Oh no, don't answer. I know. You sure about that?"

"Yes."

"Fine," Danny sighed. "I can't believe I'm doing this. He does look like a fan of more shallow type. So, what you need to do is to act...basically not like yourself..."

"What does that mean?" Azula crossed her hands.

"Well, the likes of him fall for the girls who don't act nearly as independent," Danny blushed green a bit. "So, you laugh at everything he says, smile stupidly like a little lamb. And always fawn over his physical appearance. Although you can act superior to all others."

"Because I am."

"Yes. But now for other reasons...jeez, I'm describing Paulina. Rare brat, she is. Anyways...okay. You may try and practice here."

Danny coughed. Alright, now to lower his IQ to Dash's level, which was that of a rock.

"Hey, there, gorgeous. How are ya liking this party?" He even tried to mimic that moronic tone of his school bully's voice.

Azula laughed. And it was so horribly faux and loud that everyone looked at them. How awkward. Both were silent until everyone turned away.

"How was I?" The princess asked.

"It was horrible, cheesy, as sugarcoated and covered in powder as possible. That was perfect."

Azula got up and approached the nearest table, taking a small gulp of the drink.

"Alright, I'm ready."

Danny shook his head, watching his friend go away. He got up with a sigh.

"Jesus Tucker, where are you when you are so needed," he mumbled, deciding to follow her.

Azula and Chan went outside to the balcony, despite the latter have been talking with some other girl. Danny was like a ghost, quietly creeping around the corner. He peeked outside.

"Have you been to Ember Island before?" Chan asked.

"Yes, but very long ago, when I was younger," Azula explained.

Alright, so far so good, Danny thought.

"Well, the place is good, if you don't mind the sand."

Oh, no, no, no. Not this sand shit again. George Lucas, when the hell did you get to another world? It didn't work first time. Stop.

Azula laughed.

"You can as well call it, a Sandy Island!" Chan continued.

Phantom facepalmed. Even by his low standards it was horrible. But Azula still laughed as the guy approached her. Then she noticed Danny with an edge of her eye. Remember the advice, she said to herself.

"Your arms look so...strong," Azula complimented, seeing Phantom give her thumbs up.

"Yeah."

Then they kissed. Danny just sighed and shook his head. Was it so damn simple in this world or what? If so, then he had missed hell of a lot. Not that he had sought any relationships.

"You are pretty," Chan said.

"Together, you and I are going to be the strongest couple in the world!" Her hands ignited with blue flames. "We will dominate the Earth!" She yelled all of a sudden, her look quickly changing to a crazy one.

Chan was silent for a while, and Danny could sense the uneasiness radiating off him.

"Uh...I'd better go..."

And with that he was gone, almost knocking off the half ghost and not even noticing. Azula sighed.

"You can come out now. Observe my misery from the first row."

Danny walked out from his hiding, uncertain about what to do.

"That was..."

"Horrid. No need to tell me this."

"Hey, until this...outburst you have done very well. But it surely doesn't suit you."

Azula raised her eyebrow, as she leaned against the railing.

"I mean...why pretend being some living Barbie doll?" Danny gave a small smile.

He didn't know why he was saying this. Maybe because he felt the need to give some encouragement to his friend. She wasn't his familiar bratty princess at the moment, so he shouldn't act like a jerk to her all of a sudden.

"What is a Barbie doll?" Azula grumpily asked.

"The embodiment of what I told you to be. What I'm saying, is that you are still something more than whatever shallow witch he ends up with."

Azula smirked. "Yeah, you are right. I'm still the princess. Maybe I'll even find out where his father serves..."

"Woah, wait," Danny raised a hand in front of her. "That's not what I meant. There is a way to be something even bigger than a princess."

She honestly could not understand what he was saying with that kind of smile he so rarely gave.

"You limit yourself by thinking this way. Being just a princess makes you smaller, because you, above all, are a person. I won't lie, and I say that there are traits of yours which I resent. But it does not affect the way I see you. I don't see the world as a set of Pai Sho tiles, with clear and unchangeable pictures drawn on them. You always behave like a princess. Now think, what makes you something but?" Danny asked, smiling and putting a hand on hers.

Azula's lips thinned in thought. She had made up this entire ordeal of pretense, trying not to be the princess. And now...where did she end up? She was unable to do anything without any sort of counsel. She ended up on a balcony, taking advice from the talking corpse, who just happened to be her friend. That's why she preferred to be who she was. But who she was exactly... But, he was not only snarky fool, she had given the credit to him long ago. Her other friends, especially her brother, did not try to teach her anything. Not that she needed, much less asked for being taught. But there was something in the half ghost, a strange wisdom of his words, or maybe that boyish, almost innocent look he was giving during all of this. Ironic, as she did not know of how he himself needed an advice on what to do with his afterlife. Any person possesses some form of wisdom, preaching it to the others, yet often blind to their own. But it did not make the counsel less valuable.

"Let's go..." Azula mumbled. "This party was getting boring, anyway."

The princess turned to him, without a smile, but with her eyes telling him everything.

"Thank you," she said it like that was actually nothing.

He smiled. "You are welcome."

They went back inside the house. Soon it became clear that no one but Ty Lee was having a good time. Mai was sitting in seclusion, completely silent, Zuko was gone completely. After asking the gloomy girl, it became evident that he got angry, broke a vase and was kicked out.

"I think I know where he is," the princess mumbled as the group reassembled more or less.

They went towards the beach. It was completely different from how it was in the morning. Cold, endless void up ahead, with no visible borderline separating the sky from the sea. There is always something happening with a sea after the sun sets. Its merciless nature, the endless vacuum below the black, ever-shifting shroud of water, becomes uncovered during night. You begin to feel as if it is going to consume you the second the water all but touches you in complete darkness of the moonless sky. This was the most horrific predator. And under its blind gaze, with its growls manifested in the waves hitting the shore, the splashes dropping on the group passing by were like saliva dripping off its mouth.

And it was there, near its wide-opened jaw, where everyone was told to sit and wait until the princess returned. Mai sat on some damp log, brought there by some misfortune. Ty Lee rested on a rock. Danny picked up a stick and moved it around the sand, leaving an image of a rocket. Then it was swallowed by the waves. He sighed. Should have known better than to put it so close. His eyes did draft towards a huge building up the road, showing the signs of being disused for a long while. Grim, rundown. But it was there where Azula found Zuko and from where they returned, as the place held some form of significance to them.

"Hey," Mai began.

"Where is your boyfriend?" Zuko asked, halting any attempt.

She looked away. Realizing his mistake, the prince sat by her. "Are you cold?" He asked, wrapping his arm around her, but had it swapped away.

"I'm freezing!" Ty Lee chirped.

"I'll make fire...thankfully there's plenty of things to burn."

Among those things were objects taken from the house was a picture of their family. It burned really well indeed. A philosophical approach could tell that it was some sort of denial, or refusal to look into the past to see the present. Suffice to say that Ty Lee was shocked by that gesture.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"What does it look like?" Zuko responded.

"But...that's the picture of your family."

"You think I care?"

"I think you do."

"No, you don't understand me! You live in Ty Lee's world where everything is shining and pretty! Hey look at me, I can walk on my hand!"

And just to emphasize his very rude point, he attempted to do the same, before falling on the sand.

"Circus freak."

What a low blow. But the entire situation made Azula chuckle for some reason. Something Danny did not support, she wasn't helping at all.

"Yes! I am circus freak!" Ty Lee exclaimed, tears flushing to her eyes. "When you are surrounded by six sisters who look exactly like you, even your name means nothing at all! That's why I joined the circus, because I wanted to be seen as a person of my own! In this case, circus freak is a compliment!" She yelled.

"Guess that's why you are getting so many boyfriends," Mai mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"The lack of attention makes you crave it. That's why you are so eager."

"Yeah, well what's your excuse, Mai? You are the only child in the family. You've been getting all attention, yet your aura is grey and dingy."

"I don't believe in anything," Mai responded.

"You don't believe in anything," Zuko added.

"Such good friends you are," Danny mumbled, crossing his hands. Sadly, everyone heard it.

"Oh, yeah?" The prince approached the calmest and oldest teen around. "Please, enlighten us, then. We must have been doing everything wrong."

"I'm not saying that friendship is magic and other stuff like that," Phantom got up, dwarfing Zuko. "We used to have arguments with my friends. I used to be an asshole to them and they did the same. But at least have a goddamn decency to hear the others' problems out without being a sack of shit in the process," he pointed at the prince's chest, his hand being swiped away.

Silence fell on everyone.

"I don't know what you expect," Mai said. "A tearful story about the childhood deprived of everything. But no, I got everything I wanted as long as I behaved. As long as I did not speak out, unless being spoken to, just being quiet and doing what I was told to do. Staying out of trouble like my mother told me to. We had my father's political career to think about."

"So that's why you have boiled like that," Azula put in. "You were held back by your mother who shut you down the second you tried to express yourself."

"You want me to express myself? LEAVE ME ALONE!" Mai yelled, getting up.

"I like to see you expressing yourself," Zuko smiled and attempted to approach her.

"Don't touch me! I'm still mad at you!"

"Guys, stop!" Ty Lee interrupted. "So much bad energy is bad for your skin."

"Skin?!" Zuko raised his voice. "Normal people worry about skin, I have been deprived of such luxury. Because one time my father has made a pretty clean point on my face!"

"I'm sorry, Zuko, I..."

"I thought that me returning home will bring me happiness!" Zuko paced around. "But I'm always angry and i just don't know why!"

"It's a simple question," Azula responded. "Who are you angry at?"

"No one! I'm just angry!"

"Yeah...who are you angry at, Zuko?" Mai repeated a question.

"Everyone! I don't know!"

Taking many wild guesses, miserably failing and adding to the anxiety of the situation in hand, Zuko finally answered.

"I'm angry with MYSELF!" A torrent of fire plummeted in the air. "Because I'm confused. I can't see the difference between right and wrong anymore."

Danny felt sympathetic towards the prince. After all, the problem has not been foreign to him.

"There is someone I care about," Mai approached him. "It's you," she said, kissing him.

Azula clapped. "That was a wonderful performance, all of you."

"Azula," Danny shook his head. "I just asked."

"So what? You are not my behavior teacher!" She looked at him.

"Look who is talking. So what we had back there was nothing, huh? Good to know, because I almost had hope that there is some form of compassion in this brat before me!" Danny himself fell victim towards the anger he tried to contain.

"Compassion? To what? A weakness? I can too complain about my mother and how she preferred Zuko over me, but why would I? My own mother saw me as a monster. She was right, of course," she tried to joke, but failed. "But it still hurt," Azula approached Danny. "You insult me because 'this brat' has been merciful to you. If you do not appreciate it, then just leave. I behave however I want."

"I do this because someone has to," Danny mumbled softly. "That's precisely the problem. Your mother thought you to be a monster. But you never stopped to think WHY. You had a chance to change everything, was I given it? No!"

Phantom looked at the sea.

"In your case being a monster is a figure of speech," he muttered, as his hand glowed with death green light. "I have been a literal monster for years. A walking corpse, a mistake of nature both my parents sought to eradicate. When they saw me in my ghost appearance, they tried to kill me, unaware of that creature being me, and that I am dead. I died because of one mistake. And I had no chance to fix everything," Danny whispered. "Because I was afraid. Was it the same case with you, I wonder."

"What could I possibly be afraid of?" Azula snorted.

"That's something I don't know. Fear of rejection? I just say this because I felt this way. I just couldn't bring myself to tell them, I wouldn't have been able to handle this. Because mortals never appreciated what I was doing for them, fearing my power, despising what I was. If my parents, who actually did love me, my human self, did the same thing upon finding out...now this dilemma is no more, because they are gone."

"Same is with mother," Azula crossed her hands. "No point in trying to win a favor of someone long dead."

"I'm not going to argue with this," Danny looked down. "Because I am lost in it myself. Their death is my fault. And what shall I do and what to think of everything what happened in my past...I don't know. They would have told me to keep doing what is right. But what is right in my case? Keeping sacrificing myself over nothing? The very thing which caused all these scars to appear. I guess I am just being addlepated, ignorant fool as I'm not able to understand this."

To his surprise, Danny felt a pat of hers on his shoulder. Azula smiled.

"You will soon come to the realization," she said. "Maybe you will one day share the answer with me. Finally killing me with boredom."

"Lo and Li were right!" Ty Lee exclaimed. "The island does reveal our true selves."

"Is this an indirect insult at my expense?" Danny asked, making everyone chuckle.

"You know, I think there is something to make this time on the island so memorable."

A couple of minutes later, they already were at Chan's doorstep, knocking on the door. The teen opened it, seeing the group once again.

"We've got some bad news for you, Chan," Azula smiled sweetly.

"The party is over," Zuko finished.

No words could describe what unfathomably horrific chaos the group brought upon the entire party. Tapestries were shredded by Mai's pieces of metal she always carried on her, Ty Lee showed off her exceptional acrobatics by jumping from one chandelier to another in a series of prodigious flips in the air. They were not able to hold in place, plummeting to the ground with thunderous noise, accompanied by the sobs of the house's owner, as Chan was unable to stop them. Zuko was as blunt as he was destructive, simply breaking everything he came across. Danny smirked at Azula, before they put their hands back to back, both shot at one of the walls. Her blue flames, accompanied by ectoenergy pouring from him, were able to burn through literally everything, leaving a burning gaping hole. Either laughed at their success.

It truly was a memorable day.


	13. Chapter XIII: Journey into unknown

Azula hummed softly as she moved on her bed. It was midnight. Despite her blissful sleep, her head beforehand was filled with many thoughts of all kinds. On that endless list of strained ideas were multiple things all dropped on her during the entire last day. Yes, even she had hard times on occasion. First of all, there was the pressure of the approaching Day of the Black Sun.

All that time Azula was confident, thanks to Phantom's reassurance about how incredibly short-lasting the effects of the eclipse were. She had no reason to distrust this teen with an excessive knowledge of space bodies all scholars of the world could only envy. But her father was nonetheless hectic about it, and thus she still had to observe defenses of the capital. It was logical, she guessed. If they did not defend at all, the defeat at least in that fight would be imminent. Losing their capital was going to have a lasting and disastrous effect. The princess, in secret from her father, implemented the arrival of reinforcements, sadly, judging everything by only his words. Azula did not like this one bit. It didn't need anything extraordinary, the cunning scheme of hers implied first luring the attackers deeper inside the harbor leading towards the city. And then Phantom was supposed to cut them off from the sea, crushing any form of resistance and preventing their escape. Not a single flaw, just like all her plans were meant to be.

But there was an obstacle which was another topic of the day. Ozai was also pissed about Phantom still being alive, sort of,while the portal was almost finished, as Danny had pulled off something outstanding, building something which took his parents months even after they made the blueprints, in but a couple of weeks. Azula was impressed indeed, she did value the efficiency, and Phantom was as hard-working as it got, he was fueled by his dedication, when his goal was at the hand's reach. But the Fire Lord was getting furious, and the princess was far from being used to him being angry with her of all people. No, she would prove him wrong and prove her own value. But for some reason, for the first time in what probably was her entire life she was getting anxious.

It was all because of that idiot, that now again cheerful and insufferably snarky half ghost. She had bet everything on this game with high stakes, not too inclined on losing it. For all it's worth, her reward could very much differ depending on one decision made by him. Was she sure about him doing what she needs? That's what was nagging her. Phantom was...unpredictable, albeit his loyalty, at least now, was that of a puppy, as insulting as this comparison may sound to some ears, spoiled by more flattering remarks. The latest days were...lively. Since the time spent on the beach he did seem more comfortable around their group. So, Azula just hoped that the friendship he was speaking was sincere. Did she care for this even more? Maybe.

Sighing, the princess turned around in her bed, before hearing a shuffle near her. Azula's eyes snapped open, before she leaped and yelped, bolting upwards at seeing the half ghost near her. The small gust of fire missed the target. The covers flew around, making it impossible to see where they began and where they ended. The moonlight was seeping through the window, shrouding the room and lying on every object it came across. And it was in that light where Azula saw the midnight trespasser. Danny only blinked in confusion. Although, he guessed he shouldn't be surprised. He was sitting on his knees, situated on the huge bed by her.

"What. The hell. Are you doing here?!" Azula whisper-yelled, moving her nightgown so as to cover her body.

"I did it!" Phantom whispered excitedly.

The princess raised an eyebrow. He looked like a child who had just received a present on Christmas. Not that she knew what it was. Azula had never seen such immense happiness on his face. His ice blue eyes were almost literally glistening with joy. Maybe it was his energy reacting to his whirlwind of emotions, not enough to change the shade. Danny was grinning from ear to ear, leaning forward on his hands.

"I've finished it!" He continued.

"What?" Azula rubbed her eyes angrily.

"The portal is done! Common, dress up, we have to go now!" Danny rambled impatiently.

"Why now?" She asked, lying back on her pillow. "I can wait till the morning."

"No, you can't!" Danny quickly, yet tenderly got her up. Azula lazily opened her eyes again, but even then she managed to shoot him a glare. "At this time of month and this night the connection is the weakest. We have to go now or we might not have the chance at all!"

Groaning, Azula nodded slowly. She got up from the bed, walking behind the folding screen. Danny could catch the faint mutters of what was hardly a flattering remark, but he just anxiously waited until the princess emerged, now fully dressed. Her hair was still somewhat a mess, so she swiftly tied them in a bun with a gold pin. Azula then regarded her nightly visitor with a look of tired irritation. Why now of all times had he decided to peeve her?

"You ready?" Danny asked, jumping off the bed.

"Yes," Azula crossed her hands. "Now let's get this over with already."

"Okay. Hold my hand, I don't want anyone to see us. The Fire Lord's tantrums is the last thing we need."

The princess did not argue with that logic. It had to be kept secret until the last moment, because the action could be misinterpreted as an act of treason shall it be uncovered sooner. Honestly, it was getting tiresome to face all those baseless accusations. But she understood his suspicions, as he had no time to properly interact with the boy he seemed to be so paranoidal about. Honestly, Phantom was of no real concern in this regard. In the worst case scenario he would just leave this world, never to be heard from again.

It sounded less appealing than it should have.

Azula flinched as her arm was taken in a firm grip, before she felt the ground slip from beneath her. Phantom whispered to her not to let go, before they just went through the wall. It felt...so strange to be above the ground. Azula had no fear of height, but the feeling of unnatural lightness was something one had to get used to first. She didn't even feel anything within herself and, until they were high enough to drop invisibility, was unable to see her own body. The princess wondered if that's how her transport and driver all in one felt as well. Just as she thought that, Danny chuckled. The princess looked at him, the night wind was blowing into their faces, ruffling the hair.

"I know what you feel," Phantom commented. "That's because I'm not just carrying you around. Otherwise it wouldn't have been an experience that nice."

"I can fly, that's nothing new."

"What is new is the different way of it. You are unable to just enjoy the view beneath us, because you effectively turn your hands into reactive engines. How it works is beyond me, but then again, you don't know how I can do that. I can fly by using a very complicated method. By the laws of physics everything what has weight is pulled by the gravity. I just...make myself completely weightless and float. Then I simply navigate through this endless pull of both the Earth and other space bodies. I just extend this power to you."

"I never signed up for a midnight lecture," the princess grumbled.

"Your world is rather backwards. By learning these simple things from me you are becoming smarter than many," Phantom shrugged, before looking at her and beaming. "I can keep quiet if you wish so. Just to admire the view."

Receiving a nod, Danny did close his mouth. At least she found an excuse to keep quiet. The scenery beneath was worth a couple of minutes of silence. The breathtaking sight of the night having tugged the sleeping city was a soothing one. Many lights, the little dots of yellow, orange and red, were glistening, forming a slithering pattern rivaling that of the night sky, which only today, of all times, decided to show itself from behind the veil of thick clouds. The lights made it seem like the volcano the city was in had awakened. But once the teens left the borders of the city, the view changed immensely. So drastically the landmass became lifeless, barren, void of any nature. Hard, dark rocks were not something to admire.

Then the forest came into view. It was filled with trees of temperate climate: beeches, oaks, walnuts and many others were competing for each spoonful of the fertile soil beneath. About its nutritious value to the giant queens and kings, crowned with diadems of green rubbing against each other with a soft rustle, as the mischievous wind tried to push their symbols of power off their heads, spoke the flamboyant, vibrant colors of these same crowns. Danny stood on top of a huge pine tree and, thanks to the close proximity of the pillars of wood, so did the princess. They just watched the forest surrounding them on all sides up to the horizon, neither doubting the spiritual value of this location. It breathed deeply, radiating some sort of energy, going through their bodies. And you don't have to be a spiritually enlightened monk to feel this. Phantom had long since noticed that during the day it wasn't quite the same.

Far away the mountain ranges were like even bigger giants, eager to stomp this kingdom of many royalties and lay ruin. Yet, they were distant, so far that they looked miserable, unable to break the united might of the forest expanse. Even more stars were shining here, no longer losing the competition to the fiery lights of the city, while the moon was watching everything below with a look of dismissiveness, ignorant of what was below it — these rapscallions, chair warmers, who enjoyed its light and gave nothing in return. But wasn't it itself a mere mirror sun gazed upon when nobody else was looking, with oversized, excessive ego? But there was some interest, obviously, because otherwise it wouldn't have appeared in its full glory at all.

It was on that night when the Spirit World was close enough to be violated in the way Danny intended. Smiling, the half ghost looked at his companion, who was sleepy, bored and curious at the same time. Azula managed to balance on top of the tree, and it was twice as narrow as her humbly sized feet, hidden within black leather boots.

"Can we go now?" She asked, her boredom seeping through her neutral expression. Her golden eyes were still transfixed on the green blanket. There was a strange, unfamiliar feeling. She felt light again, but not in a physical sense. It was inside, and the concerns of the yesterday didn't feel so annoying now. What was more, what made this even odder, was the fact that she had been there before, and she felt nothing back then. Her annoyance was only directed at the one who had brought her here in the first place.

Phantom gave an innocent smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's just...kind of poetic, don't you think?"

"No I don't. All I see is a forest which somehow still lives on here of all places."

"Really? This is the very place where you summoned me, Your Highness," Danny smiled. "Surely there is something."

Azula blinked and looked at him, folding her arms and raising an eyebrow. "I'm filling chilly, that's all I can say."

But something in her look told Phantom otherwise. He smiled, now seeing through her exterior. He had learned to notice the minuscule glint within her golden eyes — the only way to look within.

"Well, I think it's going to get warmer. Everything is down there..."

He didn't have a chance to offer his service and help her descend, but Azula just jumped downwards. Sliding down the trunk ans somehow avoiding getting a splinter, leaping from one branch to another, she soundlessly landed on the soft, damp grass. Phantom just calmly floated downwards, his head facing downwards and his raven fair were making futile attempts to reach the ground as he was hanging too high. Then he flipped around and landed on the ground with a light thud. Danny clapped his hands and smirked smugly.

"Behold! The pile of junk which, supposedly, works."

The two were the only people present in the clear meadow. Clear in a sense of lacking any roof granted by its superior overlords, who just stood by, not in the meaning of being void of trash. It did look more like a construction site, with only small patches of grass —survivors which had a misfortune to stand in the way of progress. Carts, filled with the materials used for the construction, such as concrete and metals, stood here and there. Piles of mud which no one bothered to take too far away stood high. Passing behind these improvised hills, the two friends approached the center of the meadow.

There the princess saw a hole. It had a hexagonal shape, about three meters from one angle to another. Stepping near the edge, Azula looked downwards, seeing that in depth the portal was about seven meters. Phantom explained that it was a safety measure. No one but him — a being capable of flight, could safely jump downwards without fearing to turn into a pancake on the other side. The entire cylindrical hole was covered in shiny metal, so pure that it reflected the moonlight. Even several steps away from the entrance were covered in metal, and, as Danny explained, below it was concrete, thank god he knew how to make this material never made around here. From quicklime, pozzolana and an aggregate of pumice. And he got D- in chemistry.

As Azula was done watching, she noticed that Danny was fiddling with the levers in a small corner, full of some complicated machinery. Danny obviously tried to copy the control terminal, akin to that in the Fire Nation's advanced vehicles. The princess approached him, stepping over the thick pipe slithering around and getting under her legs, going from the terminal to the portal and from the terminal to some other pillars.

"So, what now?" She asked.

"Now...wait just a moment..." Danny flipped a switch. Nothing happened, yet he looked within the small iron box beneath, humming under his nose. He was checking once more if all the wires were in place.

"Why do you even need me here?" Azula raised her eyebrow. "And why only me?"

"Because...well, I need your lightning."

"Lightning?" The princess inquired in surprise.

"Yep," Danny smirked. "See this metal pillar? I need an energy potential of 1,21 gigawatt. You wield the power enough to obliterate a city."

"Huh. Not that it's surprising. But how?"

"The same power is present in a rod of uranium. Which we utilize for the goal of blowing up our enemies. If it wasn't so condensed in this form, it could potentially bring as much destruction. Now. This is the Tesla coils. They shall consume the electricity you throw at it, powering this entire machine. This energy amount shall agitate the purified ectoplasm."

Danny moved the blueprints remaining on the table away, revealing a tube full of green liquid.

"There is...so little," Azula commented. "And where did you take it..."

Phantom only chuckled sadly, before raising his hands. Only now the princess noted that his arm was bandaged, wrapped in a dirty piece of cloth tainted red and a little green. How come she hadn't noticed it before? Sure, Danny held her in the right hand and it was the left one that was obviously wounded as a result of self-harm, but still...

"It took my parents fifteen years to get enough. But a ghost always has access to ectoplasm."

"You...cut yourself?" Even Azula could not conceive such drastic action.

Danny sighed. "There is no other way, no matter how much I wished otherwise. We don't have years. I did it carefully. Little by little since the beginning. It is the last one, thankfully."

"That's disgusting."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Danny muttered, rubbing his face. "Jeez, now I feel like a kid with suicidal tendencies."

"Yes, you do. Doesn't make you one, however," Azula shrugged. "Just suck it up and stop pitying yourself each time."

Danny glanced at her with an angry look. But then she continued.

"You have created a portal which breaks the entire foundation of this world. So stop being so annoying by doing such things and yet pretending that you are worthless."

Now Phantom's look turned surprised. Did she just...try to reassure him? Yes, it seemed so. In her own unique way. Then, he laughed.

"Yes. Maybe you do have a point. Thanks for satisfying my ego."

Azula rolled her eyes, but still chuckled.

"Alright!" Danny exclaimed, making her flinch out of surprise and clapping his hands. "Now. Let's get down to business. Stand right over there and give it all you have got."

Azula nodded and stepped aside, before closing her eyes. She outstretched her hands in different directions. Her hand sparkled with electricity. Then, in a split motion she made a stabbing move with her hands and blue streak of light flashed brightly with loud cracking. It hit the coils straight on.

"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light!" Danny called loudly, seeing the arrow jump from the left side of the semi-circle to the right. He pulled the lever, the lights all around, another innovation of his which kept stunning the princess with its ingenuity, purging away the darkness. At his nod, Azula charged another lightning and zapped the coils, the cracking surge of power jumping from one coil to another. That's why there was plenty of them, to hold the power so big. Same hardy alloy was used for their construction.

"And God saw the light, and it was good."

Phantom flipped the last switch. Everything hummed and rattled, the noise of all possible factors combined was ruinous for the ability to hear each other. Yet Phantom managed to yell to Azula to continue, and the princess obliged, continuing to shoot lighting with no effort whatsoever. She was a prodigious fire bender in all sense of the words. What did intrigue her, was Danny's behavior. He was beginning to act all agitated and excited to the point of seeming crazy. And speaking of, Phantom ran to the portal and picking up two wires - one imitated a power socket, while the other ended with metal rods.

"And thus God divided light from darkness!"

He plugged them.

The entire ground began to tremble, like the invasion of the earth benders had just commenced. The princess almost lost her footing, but still managed to stand. The electricity jumping between the coils turned green, starting to harvest the otherworldly power. Phantom just stood there, near the pit, holding the isolated wires in his hands. He stared into the hole of the soon to be portal, strangely captivated by it. Then, the very darkness within started to twist, mixing with the spurts of green essence. Then, an explosion of green, purple and black blew everything what was not heavy, like a strong wind. Phantom stood, his loose robes seemed to show less resilience, trying to follow the wind, to be blown away, his hair seemed to be of the same mind. He only stared into the swirling pit, his face showing some form of trance. Then...it all calmed down. The energy surge was gone, but the portal was still on. It worked.

"It worked," Danny whispered.

Azula approached him, fixing her ruined hairdo. "It worked," she confirmed that it was not a dream.

She did not expect Phantom to envelop her in a hug, so easily lifting her off the ground. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Thank you," Danny mumbled, running a hand through her hair. "You cannot imagine how important this is for me. It wouldn't have happened if not for you."

"Let. Me. Go."

Phantom released the princess gently, not minding her ignorance.

"Okay..." he looked at the portal. "I'm not suggesting that you go with me. This is a world which denies all logic, it is filled with all kinds of creatures: vile and whatnot. Until I get what I seek, I'm just as under threat as you are. The decision is yours."

Azula didn't think long. She was not going to risk it.

"I'm coming with you."

She wasn't sure what emotion Danny's face showed. Relief, disbelief, reassurance and many other feelings made their way in his face. Phantom outstretched his hand to her, smiling.

"I think that's only fair."

They floated to the spot above the portal, before they descended and went through it.

Azula was never interested in the literary works concerning the world of the spirits and ghosts. She considered this ironic, being one of the very few humans to venture there. And Danny was correct in his brief description of the place. They had descended into the portal, yet they exited by floating upwards. On the other end there was no metal structure. The swirling vortex was just there, in the air. And what was the air? The only thing which made the sky different from the portal was the fact that the lines composing it had a larger trajectory. FAR larger trajectory, for their twists could not be seen. Somehow the world managed to be well lit like it was an average noon, despite the sky lacking any light source, possessing only dark, lifeless colors. The black pieces of ground were just floating in the air, along with...doors?

The teens landed on one of the rocks, with only a couple of dark purple bushes. It wasn't big, the island could be passed in a couple of minutes.

"Home sweet home," Danny put a hand on his hip, looking into the abyss. "I don't recommend to do that."

Azula retracted her hand from a knob of a door just leading to nowhere. "What's wrong?"

"This thing can lead to some ghost's domain. And they usually don't take kindly to uninvited visitors."

"Then what are we going to do now?" She crossed her hands.

"I'm trying to recall where we are. The landscape does seem familiar, I tried to pin the coordinates as correctly and close as possible..."

"Holdeth right th're!" A voice sounded from behind.

Phantom did not turn around at first, but the princess looked there. In her sight were five armed green skinned beings with red eyes and two guys with the same eye color, but blue skin. They were wearing blue heavy armor, with chainmail seen beneath the adjuncts, some even with helmets. On their chests were drawn fire-breathing dragons. In their hands were swords, spears and halberds.

"A human?" One of them mumbled.

"Who the hell are these?" Azula asked.

"I don't know...oh, wait, I do," Danny responded upon seeing the soldiers himself. The reaction of theirs was almost comedically surprising.

"Lord Phantom..." they whispered to each other, before pushing one of theirs forward. Azula couldn't help but smirk. Would you look at that, here Danny really held some sort of power.

"Mil'rd...to seeth thee is such an hon'r," he said, bowing.

Ah, they and their Shakespeare's speech. It made everything so complicated.

"Uhm...thank you," Danny nodded, before smiling. "Where are we, can you tell?"

"The lands of queen D'rathea, mil'rd. Doth thee wanteth us to receiveth thee th're?"

Phantom beamed brighter. "That would be nice. Things are looking up," he glanced at the princess.

"Who is this...D'rathea?"

"Ah, you may be able to understand the language thanks to our gift, yet the names are not translated. Dorathea, she is a friend of mine. There we can get what we need and move on to our target."

They set off, following the eagerly whispering men. Some of them remained where they were, obviously on patrol. They seemed excited about their finding, and Azula eavesdropped on their conversation. While many things remained unknown to her, she got the gist of it. Apparently, each hoped for the promotion. Honestly, they spoke like they had just taken the two into captivity. Yet the soldiers were excited about the reappearance of their king. This system of governing seemed counterproductive to her. Earth Kingdom was actually like this - an endless conundrum of multiple local royals. She commented this to Danny.

"And what do you offer?" Phantom raised his eyebrow.

"Simple, put everything under direct control," Azula said as if it was obvious.

"It's not that simple. The ghosts have lived under a tyrant. And this centuries old anarchy has not exactly helped their views. And I haven't even been properly crowned yet. It will have to wait, not everything at once, princess. Besides, Dora owes me."

"Why?"

"Remember how on the day of our meeting I mentioned how I helped one princess overthrow her brother?"

Azula actually chuckled. The point of his was rather clear.

Finally they reached the next point, sometimes floating from one rock to another. On their way nothing happened, except having to avoid hitting the floating doors. They didn't hang in one place. What Azula saw beneath was very disheartening. There was...literal nothingness. Far, far below there was a pitch black pit, it didn't move. The thing was just there. She asked Danny and he answered. It was called just that — a pit. A generally unexplored thing, because no being went there and came back sane. It was really far, no matter how long one went there. A more...philosophical approach told that it was oblivion — the place where the ghosts went when they died again. So, it was a no no to go there.

On that ground stood a small fort, about hundred meters across, with one of its corners having a tall tower. At the gates stood two guards who almost dropped their spears in shock. Phantom simply saluted them as they entered.

"Mil'rd, baron Lancelot is inside," one of the soldiers said.

"Thank you, good man," Phantom nodded and smiled, making Azula roll her eyes.

The inner part of the fort was simple to its maximum. In the stables stood several horses, all black and unknown to the princess. Several white-walled medieval buildings housed the soldiers serving on this post. In the forge several ghosts were working with metal. Phantom told Azula that that's how his world lived almost thousand years ago. But of course all glances were directed at the newcomers, even more whispers could be heard. The two finally entered the tower, before going a couple of floors up, to the room of the baron.

It took up the entire floor. Well furnished, with a double bed at the far end under the window, several tapestries hanging all around the room. The room was lit by the light coming from the windows, but the candlestick standing on the deck was still holding three burning candles. The floor was covered in wooden planks, obviously more comfortable than stone. Under the desk and under the bed were two dark-colored carpets. Several wardrobes and bookshelves told about the owner not being an entirely militant person, no matter how the armor rack and swords hanging on the walls told otherwise. There wasn't any glass in the windows, they were only holes, because the strong winds were a rare occurrence in this world, and weather changes were nonexistent whatsoever.

"I toldeth thee not to disturb me," the man at the desk grumbled, not looking up from the papers.

"I terribly apologize, but this is as urgent as it can get."

"Well thee shall has't to did shave thy urgent matt'rr..." the man finally looked up, before dropping his writing quil.

"Oh, this reaction is priceless," Azula smirked.

The man looked to be in his mid age, closer to forty. He had green skin and crimson eyes like so many of the ghosts around. His hair was short, straight and blond, while the stubble was a sign of recent, but not today's shaving. He was dressed in the black robes with green lines and buttons, regal looking and clean. The man was sitting behind the wooden desk, full of pieces of parchment.

"Thy majesty, thou art backeth!" Apparent baron Lancelot jumped from behind his desk and approached him, before vigorously shaking his hand. "What art thee doing h're?"

"To be brief, we need a transport. We hoped you would provide one."

"Hmm...of course, sire. Ev'rything f'r such esteem'd l'rd."

"Looks like someone is popular," Azula commented.

"Jealous?" Danny smirked.

"You wish," she huffed.

"And who is't is this quite quaint milady, sire?"

"This does not concern you, I am a princess and I am in a hurry. So would you kindly hurry up?"

Danny chuckled nervously. "What my...quite RUDE companion is trying to say is that we really should go."

"We has't only one h'rse to spareth at the moment, I'm afraid. But we shall beest joyous to provideth t."

And so he did. In less than twenty minutes the horse was all ready to go. In exchange Danny was asked to leave an autograph. For he was not only the king, but a hero many people adored. Azula noticed this and the cheers of happiness the ghosts made. She honestly wasn't sure what exactly this implied in the future. On one hand, such loyal people were very useful with their superfluous showcases. But putting the others' needs before his own was what brought Danny to his problems in the first place. Why bother? And she just told Phantom this, as they jumped on that strange black creature. The horse wasn't stubborn, thankfully. The half ghost looked around his shoulder at her.

"At least there is something to fight for," Phantom looked at the cheering crowd. They did appreciate his effort.

With that they rode out of the fort in direction of the domain of Queen Dorathea. The first reason — his friends and allies had to know about the very fact that he was still out there. Just ignoring them all for the sake of taking the throne as soon as possible was offensive beyond comprehension. Azula was not understanding in this matter at all. Being the master of intrigues, she missed the point of something honest, Danny realized. An honest alliance of the people truly loyal and hopeful of their young soon-to-be the king. That's why the princess was really unhappy to go there instead of the keep directly.

They rode for half an hour, passing many peculiar landscapes, and with Danny now remembering the directions. Big mountains were quickly replaced by a mass of land which was a miniature desert, with a suspicion that someone lived beneath the thick layer of sand, slipping downwards in small chunks sometimes, yet never ending. Phantom's words about defying logic were once again confirmed that one of the land chunks was upside down, yet everything was held on its bottom, including an old shack. Many doors came their way and none was opened. Occasionally they encountered the ghosts of all possible colors and outfits, they had no affliction to any nation familiar to the princess or even Danny, implying that more than two mortal planes were connected to this world. Some were disgusting looking, and Azula didn't even try to hide this, yet each ghost they encountered regarded Phantom with a look of shock, the following reaction differing.

Some did scatter away for fear of the power of the new Pariah. Some unknowledgeable were surprised at seeing the green legendary ring on such a young, apparently mortal boy. Some were baleful towards the usurper and towards them Phantom payed no attention. As they were finally alone, Azula subtly reminded that they had to hurry and the Fire Lord would be pissed otherwise.

"Like I would care what that pompous fool thinks," Danny responded as their horse landed on another piece of land.

He felt a powerful pull behind, Azula looked less than happy about this.

"Don't you back out of our deal now," she whispered threateningly on his ear.

Phantom remained stoic, sparing her a glance.

"What's wrong?" He asked unenthusiastically. "Now you share your daddy's fear? Please, don't drop any minuscule form of my respect for you to oblivion. I don't hide the fact that I have a good mind to get rid of him myself. You are the only thing that stops me. Have this in mind and also. Be polite when talking. The ghosts are apprehensive of humans and don't you bring shame upon me by behaving however you want. It will ruin both me and our cooperation chances."

Finally they reached the city. Before that they had passed many fields, where the peasants were busy harvesting. The lack of sun was not a bother for many plants, surprisingly, the soil was always fertile. No one knew the ultimate paradox of this world. Yet, wasn't it a world of controversy? A world that is inhabited by living dead. Here, the ground could give life to a plentiful harvest and the supernatural light which was radioactive in the real world as much as alpha rays could easily replace the sun. Thus the peasants could keep doing what they did during their lives, yet much easier, because the crops grew on astonishing speeds, allowing them to enjoy some rest for once.

Huge walls surrounded the city, but the gates were wide open for everyone willing. The welcome the two received was wonderful, as much as a reception could be, arranged in less than an hour. Lancelot had apparently sent a pigeon or whatever. The joyous crowds even threw flowers at them, as the musicians made jolly melodies. Azula was hardly impressed by those attempts at sweetening the king's mood. It did work for him, she guessed, but it would take more to impress her. Someone had to keep cool head here.

The city looked much better than when Danny was there last time. Back then Dora was already trying to fix what her brother had done. The buildings looked much better for the wear, the dirt was taken from the streets, making the city look much less medieval with the lack of this key element of medieval settlements. Yet, there was still a long way to go. Even the ghost world could not grant everything, and those destined to be beggars in life could not find any purpose after. The road was clear for the two to get to the royal keep with no problems. The main entrance was up the wide stairs, and near the doors stood a delegation.

In front stood a young lady, wearing a bright blue dress with outlines of the slightly darker shade. Her crimson eyes and blonde hair tied in a braid, green skin shouldn't even be mentioned as everyone around seemed to have such traits. She was young at the seems, between eighteen and twenty years old. The green diadem on her head gave away the title this person had. As Danny and Azula approached the entrance, with the horse taken away by the local groom, the queen's reaction was unexpected. She just hugged the visitor.

"Oh, by the Ancients, sir Phantom!" Dora released the teen, who was smiling slightly. "We all thought that you..."

"Died?" Danny huffed. "I think I've got at least one more try."

Both chuckled at the inner joke. Azula felt like she didn't belong to this celebration of life...death...whatever. She yawned, thus getting the attention.

"And who is this?" Dora smiled. "A friend of yours?"

"I guess you can say that," both teens responded at the same time.

"Well, all friends of Sir Phantom are welcomed here."

"Can we continue talking not under the eyes of the entire crowd?" Danny asked quietly. "We need to talk."

"Of course!" Dora smiled, nodding to her guards.

They stepped aside, clanking their armors and weapons. Now a trio, they went inside the vast halls of the building. It did not break the dark atmosphere. Dark, yet not grim. It was a purely aesthetic choice, many ghosts tended to prefer it to every other colors. It fit the general atmosphere. Many columns held the tall ceiling, and, passing the throne room, they just went to the side corridor. It wasn't stuffed, only one carpet went through it, while the light from the outside went through the slim windows. They were silent, until Dora spoke.

"Sir Phantom, it surely is surprise. Where have you been?"

Azula stood by the left side from Danny. She listened closely. To learn more about her most mysterious friend was something she had been wanting for a while.

"It's...quite a long story, Dora. What do you know?"

"Well, when the news about the destruction of your home reached us, all of us were grieving. Then your family was found dead and you were gone."

"What destroyed it?" Azula asked.

"Ah, princess, your bluntness hurts," Danny tried to lift his spirits which were about to plummet.

"Princess?" Dora asked in surprise. "There aren't many in the human world."

"There is even less in mine," Azula smirked, crossing her hands. "I am one and only. Princess Azula of the Fire Nation."

"You sure can find acquaintances," The queen noted with a note of amusement, remembering his last female friend.

For some reason both Danny and Azula laughed.

"I would say that she found me," Phantom noted, so glad to change the topic. "What about this world? What happened in my absence? Skulker finally found the remote?"

"No, he didn't. His lover told me as such," Dora responded, missing the sarcasm.

"Didn't know you are friends."

"Not exactly friends, but she has a permission to hold her concerts here. My subjects are eager to learn what's coming from the outside. But I still cannot bear this noise. Your supposed death was disheartening to all of us," Dora's tone became grim. "We all were lost, and our hopes for unification were lost. Because if you died by the hands of humans...then there is no one to claim the throne. Fright Knight now holds the keep and he has threatened to destroy everyone who dares to trespass."

"He has lost his obsession."

"A what?" Azula asked.

"The reason which holds the ghosts back," Danny responded. "What stops them from moving on. When you take such a shortcut...it leads to huge inner problems. It took me one year to fix mine. Not that it helped other issues."

"And yours was..."

Dora gasped as they all stopped on one place. "Lady Azula. It was rude!"

"Don't worry, Dora," Danny smiled at the queen, before looking at the princess, who raised her eyebrow. "Asking about obsession is a grave offense, Azula. Haven't I told you?"

"No."

"Really? I could swear it I did. Oh, well. My fault."

"Yes, it is."

Phantom gasped and put a hand over his heart. "God...so blunt that it can actually cut."

Dora hid her mouth behind her palm and chuckled, Azula did it openly. They seemed to be close, the queen noted. She was glad that the king found someone after his close ones were gone. It was different from the friendship he used to have and the princess's character wasn't very sensitive. Still, there seemed to be some form of bonding between them.

"Anyways...back on topic," Danny looked at Dora.

"I've just been trying to keep ruling as I did before," The queen continued. "Most of your enemies have been uninterested in invading your town."

"So they have only been doing so only to spite me?!" Phantom explained.

"Here goes your meercy," Azula added melodically and smugly and earning herself a look.

They entered the room which served as an office. Not much to say: a desk, a chair and Dora's own picture between the cabinets. They sat on the chairs by two sides of the table. Dora picked up a chandelier and then ignited the candles with a very thin breath of fire. Azula blinked in surprise. Ghosts, she then came to the conclusion. There was no telling they could do. The dimly lit room filled with light. Black part of the sky was outside, hence the darkness.

"The rest: Frostbite, Pandora...I don't know much, I've been too busy all this time. Now, what is it you seek? Your Majesty?"

"I am going to the keep," Phantom said curtly. "I have returned and it is time to get the throne."

"But...sir Phantom. You are not eighteen yet."

How could he forget this of all things?


	14. Chapter XIV: The keep

Danny wasn't sure what he felt. The gaze of the princess was piercing his skull, but it didn't hold anything hostile. She didn't show any signs of being pissed at his misfortune, that mistake and ignorance was his. She was just...looking at him. Phantom leaned back in his leather chair. The point is, he didn't really want the throne, come to think of it. Danny needed it only to repay his debt to Azula, he could just live in Far Frozen with the cheerful yetis. Or even here, in Dora's. He didn't have to take everything just now. He was safe and that's all that mattered. Still...he had to at least try.

Phantom looked at Azula, waiting for her reaction.

"What?" She asked. "You did tell about this long ago."

"I did?" Danny blinked.

"While you had a lively chat with father," Azula shrugged.

"Wait...if you knew that then why go through all of this?"

"Because I know what there is to do," the princess looked at Dora. "So he is unable to get it because some rules prevent this?"

"Oh, ehm..." the queen tapped on the table. "It's not exactly written anywhere, per say. The legends say that that was the demand of the...crown itself."

"Are you actually saying that that thing is alive?" Azula asked in befuddlement.

"And why would it want someone who is of the specific age?" Added Danny.

"I don't know. Maybe it needs an experienced person to wield its tremendous power. Then again, how much of an adult in terms of mind is the eighteen years old? All the kings except the first one were much, much older than that. Sir Phantom, you are the first one in many millennia."

"Huh. I feel special. Maybe we should ask the witness of that event?" Phantom smirked.

"Are you speaking of the Time Master?" Dora's eyes widened.

"Unless he somehow pops up out of nowhere!" Danny raised the octaves of his voice, shouting into nothingness. "I know you are watching old man!"

Nothing came. Of course, why would the omnipotent and all-knowing being pay attention to the very confused heir to this entire world? Everyone just stared at him.

"So, no one is going to object if he tries?" Azula kept prying. She was not going to let go of this opportunity so easily.

"I don't think so, many lords don't even pay attention to traditions and legends. Not me, certainly," Dora smiled, looking at Danny. "My loyalty is to you, my lord. At my times your age was widely accepted for the kings."

"At your times people died from things as simple as constipation, Dora, not to offend," Phantom noted.

"Maybe. But with us, beings who don't even remember how old we really are...I don't think much of it."

"Let's get going, then," Azula urged impatiently. "We won't know unless we try."

She was right, and her hurry was understandable. The clocks were ticking, if they didn't get back in time it would be gruesome. And she didn't even know how long it would take to get there. For all she knew the distance could be so long that they would be late for the Day of the Black Sun. And everything would come crashing because the Fire Nation was threatened by this attack. If her father was found without her command of the fight then the results were too unpredictable. Danny understood it, so he heeded to her request. They decided to immediately move on and go to the castle which was rightfully his, king or not. And that was currently a place held by one ghost of Halloween. Until then the message was to spread around the nearest domains about his miraculous return.

It would have a proper effect on his allies. An inspiration that would help to lay the foundation of his rule. Azula came up with the plan, like she was doing him a big favor. Because of the simple fact, his humble beginnings, she said that he needed some boost to his reputation. The princess was given the divine right to rule at birth, not having to prove herself to anyone ever. Danny decided not to mind her attitude, thankful for her desire to help in the first place. He joked about making her his PR manager, she didn't get it, of course.

With every preparation done, the teens set off in direction of the castle. The way was supposed to take a couple of hours on horse, while it was about two in the night already. That's why the steed was being pushed to its limit, just so they could get to the keep faster. This time Azula sat in front of Danny. Dora didn't give them an extra horse for some reason known only to her. Although, if one of the two lagged behind it would be a bother too. After half an hour or so of uneventful sightseeing, the two were silent, not that they talked much before that moment, just a comment or two directed at some peculiar beast lurking far away. But none of the beings actually dared to approach them. Azula was almost disappointed.

"You know..." the princess looked behind and saw Danny smirking. "You are the third human to step here. So, congrats on being in the first three."

She huffed slightly. "And the other two?"

"My friends have beaten you to it. Avatar doesn't count, since it is basically his spirit passing here."

"How do you know that?"

"I found the information in the library."

Not really, the Avatar told him this. Not that Azula needed to know it. The princess yawned loudly, the fact that it was actually the middle of the night was getting to her. Phantom smiled gently.

"You can have a nap if you want," he said, making the raven haired girl look at him in surprise. "We have a long way to go, try to make this time count by resting just a bit."

To sleep. In this endless Picasso painting, a mockery against the very sense of nature and order? Where there wasn't any concept of night and day? Then again, nothing had threatened their lives so far, unless you count a sore butt as a major danger to your safety. The leather saddle was rough, albeit made specifically for two people this time. How the nomads managed to spend so much time atop of the equine creatures was beyond mere pedestrians. The saddle wasn't as comfy as the leather seat of a luxurious car or any for that matter. Azula was used to this more or less, having ridden the steeds much less obedient. In the end Azula sighed, guessing that it wouldn't hurt to take rest. Closing her eyes, the princess fell asleep. Danny kept his eyes peeled on the metaphorical road in front of them.

Then, as they riding through one of many islands, Phantom looked down at the princess resting in the hands of Morpheus. And his own in addition. She looked so peaceful when she slept, he once again noted. He liked seeing her like this more. Not that he was some sort of creep watching others sleep, not on purpose at least. Then the things took a drastic turn when her subconsciousness deemed his chest a suitable pillow. Danny's eyes widened as the princess snuggled against him, as it was a more comfortable position. He moved her a little bit straighter, so she wouldn't fall off on the next land bump, by gently taking her surprisingly soft hands and shifting her in a more comfortable position. She stirred, but didn't wake up nor moved away.

Together they crossed another piece of that ludicrous and fearful child drawing of an underworld. Yet, his face was shining like a Christmas tree. He was finally at home. The one he missed so much. In every rock, every battered door hanging in the air he saw a confirmation that all of this was not a dream. He really was there, and in the world of the dead he shall find solace. No bothersome mortals running after his pelt, forcing him to hide in the rundown shacks, disused warehouses and the apartment which looked like a tomb judging from the air of decay of everything that was even capable of this biological process. And Danny was supposed to pay for the latter with the stolen money. The honest taxpayers were far from eager to pay for this. But he still had to earn his place, and the judge was the guy who despised him. Their last meeting hadn't gone that well.

And finally they made it. And as they approached the towering keep the world around them seemed to be lacking more and more activity. No one dared to approach the barren lands. Snapped, black trees were twisted in the ways unimaginable to man or ghost. And silence. Unbearable silence, interrupted only by the steady clatter of the hooves, hitting the ground which was as hard as the metal the horse's 'shoes' were made of. Which of the two would break first nobody knew. The sky itself was darker, cloaking the entire place in shadows, which eyed the intruders with unblinking, unswerving gaze. Their own shades one second trailed behind, only to hide, to lurk in darkness they had merged with, turning into one river of obscurity the following moment. Danny opened his palm and a small green light was now showing them the path, or rather all the obstacles hidden below the flow of this gloomy river. It wasn't needed that much, because of the inconsistent nature of the sky of this world made entirely of the ever-changing laws like it was going through the eternal period of troubled puberty. The faint light was always there, 24/7.

No reaction. When Dora mentioned the current landlord threatening to attack whoever stepped in this domain, Phantom expected the legions upon legions of skeletons with eyeless craniums incapable of independent thinking. There were crumbled remnants of the battle long gone that no one had bothered to clean: bones, pieces of armor from all the ages throughout history, snapped spears and bent swords. The memory was still fresh in the mind of the half ghost. Of one of the hardest battles not for some god-abandoned town. It was a fight against the tyrant threatening both worlds, for the very survival. Phantom was the one to be the unlabeled leader of this advance, as no one straightforwardly admitted it. His words were the push towards heroic bet of everything they had. The tyrant was defeated by his hand, locked away by the creator of this mess, while both his friends and foes were fighting off the twisted, perverse joke at knight-errants' expense and the undead army.

The lands before the castle were very picturesque. After all, apotheosis of war did make it to the canvas. Here, where the dead trees could not hide what was below them, the landscape of the battle was shown fully. The ground was not visible beneath the green bones, rattling under the unwavering pace of the horse. An intelligent being, the steed was. It did not whine, it did not falter, despite clearly understanding what the piles of severed fleshless limbs, cracked, punctured beyond recognition of their origin. Unable to always avoid stepping on the remains, the horse finally stepped on a skull. The sound was enough for Azula to stir and start to wake up.

"What...where are we?" She asked, before realizing her position.

Azula moved forward on the saddle, standing up, yet preferring to ignoring the fact of their close interaction.

"Welcome to Château de Fantôme," Danny joked dryly. "I know. It looks nasty. I think we should go further ourselves."

The princess nodded and jumped off the steed, landing on what used to be a costal bone from the seems. Azula looked around, she hadn't expected to wake up surrounded by corpses. Danny let go the steed and prepared to set off. The air had the smell reminiscent of sulphur dioxide, of a burning match, which was a subtle cue to go. It was poisonous, and these lands wanted the two to stay, to join this mountain. For the half ghost it was nothing. Yet, Phantom urged her to hurry, to cover her mouth with at least her hands and follow him. The concentration of the gas was faint, that's why Azula hadn't dropped dead yet. They passed Mountains of bones, the skeletons looking straight into their souls. That was more than enough to make the princess grimace. That place was disgusting.

"What happened here?" She asked, narrowly avoiding the small avalanche and shivering at the thought of even coming in contact with the remnants of the past warriors.

"A battle. Pariah has resurrected his undead legions, preparing to enact the offensive on the both worlds."

"So all of this is your work?" Azula raised her eyebrow, quite impressed.

"Well," Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "I did lead the attack, the kind of the last dire attempt your enemies are trying to do now. Once we pressed forward and got to the castle, my allies held them back until I defeated the King. This is what has remained of it."

"But what's the use of this?" She asked, gesturing towards the skeletons buried beneath the sets of rusty chain mails. Phantom chuckled, before leaning towards her.

"Nothing is truly dead in this place. One snap of the king's fingers and they shall rise from their graves, to serve him for eternity."

The castle was a huge structure, made of red bricks and looking superfluously grim. It was such an overused method to make your citadel of power seem intimidating. Why would you need this? If a person knows what the owner is, they do not need extra convincing. They do not need the gates made of black rotting wood, held by the huge rusty chain. They do not require the entrance to look at you like some dumb screaming face. Two teens actually had a small laugh over this. Never before Pariah was called edgy. The outer wall was very well-fortified, it was incredibly thick, about ten meters deep, an entire house could fit inside the gateway. The masonry was well-put, although showing the signs of the wear and the past battles.

Phantom was eagerly discussing the battle in such details that Azula had no doubt of the story's credibility. That square tower of the south-eastern corner had its outer part completely blown up, that was a result of a missed shot and collateral damage. The courtyard between the wall and the citadel within was cluttered with all sorts of debris. Bricks, rocks and the buildings of supporting role were all but completely destroyed.

"Huh, I haven't noticed how much was destroyed," Danny commented, rubbing his chin. "I was probably already inside when it happened."

"And when you came out?"

Phantom smiled awkwardly. "I...kinda fainted after the fight."

The princess shuddered the air with her laughter. "Why did I expect nothing less?" She asked sarcastically.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Danny pouted as they entered the huge door.

"That you are prone to coming out of the fights in the most unsuitable condition."

"Wha...when have I ever been like this?"

"I do read reports," Azula smiled innocently.

The enormous gates were made of wood and hardened by metal. Together the teens pried them open, grabbing the iron ring acting as a doorknob. A cloud of dust greeted them and made the teens cough. The insides were dark and thus both teens ignited their respective sources of light, their radiant hands sending the shadows into green and blue purgatory. The long hall greeted them. The gigantic columns went beyond the reach of two lanterns, their tops still hidden. Azula noticed that her companion seemed very thoughtful.

"What is it?" She asked, blowing a wave at the nearest torch stand.

"I wonder if Fright has reseted the traps. But...oh, we can take a shortcut."

"To where?"

"I know precisely where he is. To the throne room. You know the best part of you being a human?"

"What is it? Stop speaking in damn riddles," Azula growled.

"You are from the mortal world. Here you can do what I can in yours. Try to go through this column."

Something gleamed in the princess's golden eyes, and it was not that going from her azure flames. She approached the tall structure of black marble. Outstretching her free left hand, she moved it with the intent to see it on the other side a moment later. And her eyes widened at seeing this display.

"What else can I do?" Was her next question.

"It's not much. Basically that's all, and it was only accidentally found out by my friends."

"Fabulous," Azula deadpanned. "Let's get out of this place already."

"Oooh, is the princess scared?" Danny asked, before being elbowed in the stomach. "Okay...I got it...this way." He said between the gasps for air.

They took their way through the multiple corridors of the abandoned castle. The current possessor of the place was one lazy knight. If he was grieving, what certainly was the last thing that the ghost would have done, Fright could at least tidy the things, just to honor his fallen liege. After all, this time he was not locked in a pumpkin. No cobwebs connected the chandeliers, for there were no spiders in this realm. However dust was inevitable. It was so thick that you can draw a painting on the pieces of furniture with only it and your finger in your possession. The armor racks stood vigilant, and Danny warned against approaching them. Every other set of pitch black armor could swing its sword at the one who came close to it. The crimson carpet below their feet was chewed by whoever did roam this place. All in all, the castle was in serious need of renovation.

No traps were activated, thus making the teens wonder if Fright was even going to be truthful with his threat of slaughtering whoever entered. However, Phantom was overcome by nostalgia as he saw the spiked walls with pierced skeletons on them, with the metal cones sticking from between the ribs in the best case. In the others a ribcage was a crippled mess. He could be there if he hadn't been agile enough. As the two were going upstairs, the entire left wall was covered in arrows, or the junctions between the bricks to be exact. Snapped in half, the feathery ends were lying on the ground along with sharp, most probably poisonous arrowheads. The spinning staircase led the teens to the third floor, where the required room lied.

The king and the princess saw another corridor, splendid in its current wretchedness. The most pitiful thing is that it obviously used to be grand, albeit not as much as the one behind it - the throne room. The massive doors swung open at their approach, with a thunderous sound which shook the ancient walls of the castle, serving as the least polite invitation to enter.

The entire enormous hall was lit by tall white lamps hanging from the walls, from their iron-cage like stands. Their light reflected of the polished surfaces, making it hard to even spot them. All the while the hall managed to retain its dark beauty. They were beyond reach, as the railing of glass separated the main path from the walls and the pit between. Such architectural choice defied the logic, as there were clearly some floors below, yet from here there was only darkness. It was unclear whether or not its bottom could be met in this narrow, yet long-going hole the wideness half of human size. Phantom looked incredibly confused. The dark splendor the hall radiated was not that of the former owner, it looked completely different, with no signs of the past destruction.

The ceiling was high above, with even more engraved pictures. Looking up, the teens saw the imagery of the massive battle made out of alabaster. It was long, going to the end of the corridor-like part of the hall, the end of the story located thirty meters away from the entrance. And the silhouettes, the acting people and what chapter of the story were presented there stunned the half ghost. That was the imagery of his own strife on that fateful day. Everything was shown in a more dramatic way than it was. The moment when his enemies mocked his feeble attempt to convince them to fight was shown through them turning away, the part about the duel was shortened, for even this size could not picture everything what happened. He was like Caesar, for he came, saw and won. And unlike the reality, when he had to be carried away because of lack of energy, he stood triumphantly. 'Who made this?' Danny wondered.

The princess shared his marvel of the scenery, the majesty of the place put her father's throne room to shame. Phantom's hall made her father's look like a room of disused shack. The corridor part alone was twice as big as Sistine Chapel. Shall she look down, the princess would see the black tile polished so well that it was like a mirror. Smaller white ones were connected by the lines of the blackest tiles. All of that was forming a wondrous pattern. The walls were a piece of art themselves. Although not being blessed by a sculptor-artist, it was graced by a sculptor of the more widespread speciality. The tall silvery statues stood near each column/a part of the archways lining the walls. On the small pillars, the ones standing opposite of each other being similar in general, yet different in details. The scribes had different ways to leave their notes, the knights had different armors, the nobles competed with the magnificence of their clothes, the peasants in simple, yet decent and tidy clothes threw the seeds that floated in the air and plowed the ground.

But enough of babbling about this, for the main part was not it. The throne could actually be seen upon entering the hall. It was located in the circular section. It could be compared to the Capitol rotunda in its size and shape. The roof was made to show an image, obviously, yet that part was empty. The windows were right below the ceiling, letting in the faint green light. The sky had cleared. The throne was high above, to it went the staircase which at some point split in two, rounding the hollow space and reconnected near the seat of royal power. Made of black marble as well, the railings were still made of glass. The entire hall did not look medieval at all, gothic at best, that's what it seemed to be trying to accomplish with all these sharp edges of the archways put on the walls just for beauty.

But what of the throne itself? The tower which encompassed the entire part of the wall, reaching up to the ceiling and masticating it. While the seat itself was humble compared to all the gigantic structures around, it was made of dark cloth, but that part was unimportant, always covered from the measly prying eyes by the person sitting on it. The rest of the throne was like a black wave pushing upwards, the edges and its foam made of silver. The foam was not on the end only, because it was like a real wave, with the silvery parts now being put on all the extent of the part here and there. The teens would have gazed at the entire place for hours, even the princess who was the last one to appreciate the breathtaking beauty. If not for the one who sat on the throne right now, so keen on snapping them out of the observations.

"So," a very deep voice called for them. "The long lost boy-king finally returns to the fold."

The seat was occupied by a knight with a very unsettling appearance. The black plates of his body were put together in a fashion that resembled the torso beneath like a tight leather suit. The material of the gauntlets was odd, it looked like they were made of solid fire, somehow possible to wear while the grey flaming tongues jumped up to the elbow. The Fauld and the tassel were dark grey, with a skull as a buckle of the belt. Same could be said for the shoulder pads and the collar protection. The helmet was open, yet the face was hidden in the darkness, only two green orbs for the eyes looked upon the visitors. He was wearing a cape made of pure purple flames burning incessantly. In his right hand he held a wicked-looking glowing green sword.

Phantom raised his eyebrow, yet unwaveringly crossing his hands. "The fold, Fright? A strange choice of words."

"You, with utmost certainty, have not come to the place of family cherishing, Your Majesty."

There was a note of mockery in his booming voice which reflected off the walls.

"Then...what's the meaning of this?" Danny asked.

"There is such a thing as sarcasm, child. I have expected you of all the abominable mistakes of nature to know this."

"Is he supposed to mouth such things to you?" Azula looked at the half ghost.

"We live in the most confusing times," Phantom responded dryly, glaring at the ghost who dared to vomit such insult. "Nice redecorating you have made, I admit. Didn't know you had it in yourself."

"I've done nothing to the throne room," Fright responded. "It is thoroughly your doing."

"I beg your pardon?" Danny asked in confusion.

"Your ignorance of how our world works is appalling. The hall has deemed you as the new possessor. And henceforth it reflects a part of your being."

"I already knew that, bucket-head. So I am that aesthetically enlightened inside? Good to know. Why not the entire castle, however?"

"Unlike thyself this place cannot split apart. You have chosen your squalid mortal life over taking residence here. This room has changed only because it is here where my liege has been slayed and you have dared to sully this castle with your piffling being!"

The sword was brandished at the hand of the now standing knight. He dared to point it at Phantom's throat. Danny remained calm, while the flames at Azula's palm grew intense. But her reaction seemed to surprise the ghost, if his wider eyes seemed to be of any indication.

"What in the world is this?!" He asked. "You are no ghost, or have you mortals come up with another conniving trick?"

"Tricks?" Azula raised her eyebrow, calmly putting a free hand on her chin. "I can burn you to a crisp, creep. Be a good boy and go into the dusty coffin you climbed from."

The grip on the sword tightened. Phantom calmly moved the sword away, careful not to cut himself.

"Look, Fright. I do not need any further mishaps between us. A lot of things were said which we both dislike. But why are you so apprehensive about me being the king? Isn't it, like, your purpose?"

"Every single ghost seems to be as naive and unfathomably obtuse as you are. No, it is NOT."

Danny stared at him dumbfounded. Everyone and their mother said about this being his obsession. Fine, he could figure this out later.

"Then why did you serve Pariah?"

"For by serving him I could fulfill my foremost desires. You, however, are of no use to me, scum."

Phantom's eyes glowed green. Even Azula's fire turned green in her hand, which surprised her. Even Fright Knight did not expect what was to follow. He was punched so hard that his helmet was bent and the ghost was launched backwards. He hit the wall, his expression showing shock for a split second. Last time they fought all his might was not enough to even scratch the ghost! Phantom cracked his knuckles as Azula chuckled.

"Don't take all the fun to yourself, meanie."

Fright growled, floating above ground and having recovered from the strike. He brandished the sword once again, before suddenly cackling.

"What's so funny?" Danny asked with irritation.

"You may not comprehend it, brat. I've been tarring too long, this very room has been the proof of your overdue existence! You are carrying what I need. With the Crown and the Ring in my disposal I will transform this world into my own personal pantheon of terror and then I WILL RULE! I challenge you, King Phantom, for a duel!"

Silence followed. Azula was about to strike first, but she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"No, princess. For me it is like Agni Kai to your people. Only two of us enter."

"And one shall come out victorious," Fright finished, landing on the ground.

Azula understood, mostly because of the to the point comparison. She was not willing to put everything on this bet, but there was no going against these laws. It could give an insight on the power of her ally. So, the princess flopped on the throne with a smug expression. Azula also knew that she wasn't going to be attacked there and god, was it posh. Phantom looked at her with a dry expression, before turning to the knight.

"I accept your challenge."

When these words came out of his mouth the radiant ring of pearly white light appeared around his waist. And as it traversed up and down by splitting itself in two, the princess watched in surprise how the human before her was gone, giving place to the spectral entity. Raven hair replaced with a storm of snow white hair, so bright that it was impossible to make out a separated minor strand. The skin became darker, and the eyes turned into the green gems, blazing with the deathly light, the excessive energy seeping like a thin fog. His clothes were black and tight, with white collar, gloves and boots. The belt was also of silver color. He did not look as intimidating and deformed as Azula had expected, but there was no mistaking it — that was a ghost standing before her. He could use some better protection from the sharp blade, however.

Fright Knight was the first to attack. With a roar he lunged forward, shortening the distance in a split second. Phantom moved under the strike, a small disk of ectoenergy appeared in his hand. He bashed Fright in the face, before clasping his hands and firing. The blast made the ghost only slide on the polished floor several meters back, until he was stopped by the railing.

"That's all you can,wimp?" He spat and barked a laugh, approaching the half ghost again.

"You are just not worth the destruction of this place," retorted Phantom with a grin.

The flames of Fright's cape indicated a lot. Then he vanished, only to appear right near his opponent, grab his neck in a firm grip. Phantom did not need breath, but the grip was painful.

"Then we shalt continue outside."

With a powerful move, Phantom was thrown out of the window, a loud cracking sound filling the entire hall. Fright Knight pursued and Azula followed just not to be left out from the fight. She only saw that the second the ghost flew out of the broken window he was blasted from above with the force that made the knight plummet under its sheer pressure. The princess climbed to it and looked outside. Phantom flew by in a blur.

Fright landed on the bridge connecting the castle with one of its towers. The bricks below broke, yet the construction stood. He saw the upcoming strike and rolled aside. The second Phantom collided with the ground, Fright got up and swung his sword in one single motion. Danny put his palms on both sides of the weapon with a smirk, despite showing the signs of huge effort. Fright tried to push it further, yet the boy's strength was enough to hold him back for the time being. He only needed a scratch. Phantom's smirk grew before his eyes glowed brighter. Fright quickly retreated aside, before the blast hit the tower and penetrated it with a massive explosion.

"If you want me to serve you, ending me is not a proper scheme," he commented dryly.

"Sorry if I scared you," Danny kept smirking. "But it's not like you are holding back either."

"Just stop bickering and fight already!" Azula shouted, sitting on the edge of the hole.

As if on cue, it was now Danny's time to attack. A sword appeared in his hand, before he clashed with his opponent. Fright had to defend himself from the restless enemy, who showed no signs of wearing out yet. There was no time for him to counterattack, but his skills protected him better than any sword. Phantom was inspired by his quick learning of the swordsmanship, he picked up things on big speed. Yet the two didn't move like Danny had expected. Fright firmly stood his ground, before Phantom came up with a new plan. And once again the eyes betrayed him.

The blue glow they emitted was a cue for the ghost to once again retreat from the fight. Only this time Phantom shot below the opponent's feet with his now free left hand, previously used to support the other. Ice covered the stone and Fright slipped on it with almost comedic effect. Danny was about to strike, but then the ghost blasted him with his eyes, for the teen was not the only one capable of the feat. The half ghost was launched in the air, where he steadied himself. Danny ignored the pain and charged the energy in his palms, barraging the opponent with the green blasts. But as Fright flew to him in a blur, he dodged the bombardment. The powerful rays hit the bridge and the roof of the tower, wiping them out in a series of explosion. Maybe Danny really shouldn't put everything he had in them, he would destroy the castle and waste the energy. But remembering how durable his opponent was, he didn't know how much he should have used.

Fright meanwhile got closer, before slashing his weapon again across the enemy's chest. Then, Danny simply split in two. His legs and body were dismembered, yet he was laughing all the way as the sword hit only thin air. After this, like a snickering bacteria, he became two, before each duplicate fired a blast at the close range. This time round the blast was enough to launch the ghost into the ground outside the keep. Danny grinned triumphantly, before merging into one. Suddenly he heard a faint sound behind. He stopped flying and plummeted down, before stopping several yards below and looking up. Fright was back again. And he looked furious.

"You shall NOT PREVAIL!" He yelled.

Suddenly he put the sword on his belt and his hands glowed with purple light. A giant purple crystalline orb, first as small as a palm of his hand, grew twice his size, was hurled forward at the speed of a damn asteroid. Danny almost made it and dodged the thing, but the purple flames stung him even before he collided with it. Despite the unhealthy crack within his body Phantom flew further, pushing off with his leg. The meteor flew further, and once it flew to the edge of the landscape blew up and broke off an entire piece of land. Danny took a second-long glance at his injuries, landing on the outer wall. It was probably one of his ribs snapping, not the first time, nor the most severe. His clothes were scratched yet the burns on the face, if there were any, could not be seen without a mirror. Phantom looked at the descending ghost, fixing his shoulder, while lying on the ground.

"Meteors? Huh...should have known. Because it makes hell of a lot of sense, you are the embodiment of Halloween," Danny shouted sarcastically.

"I have no obligation to explain myself before the ignorant worms. Prepare to face the merciless stomps."

"No you."

Fright was interrupted from the swing because of confusion.

"Really?" He asked. "Your supplement of miserable jokes is over?"

Danny grinned, before kicking the ghost's leg. Fright stumbled, before the half ghost moved the leg upwards and landing his boot at the offender's face. Phantom flipped and landed on his feet. Fright took out his sword again and lunged forward. Once again the sword fighting began. Danny could not break through the defense of the ghost so experienced in this kind of combat. What would be the attack which would force the two to get down to the fighting of different kind? Neither noticed how they now fought on the side of the wall, with Fright being above the teen. Danny used the trick of rendering his chest nonexistent, before flipping away from the knight's reach. He surrounded himself with ectoenergy, protecting himself from the following strike. The sword bounced off the circular barrier.

"Heh, what's wrong, Fright? We should stop running in circles, don't you think?"

"That pun was a detestable insult to the concept of humor!"

"Like you can do better. Everyone is a critic," Danny grumbled and crossed her hands.

"Of course I can...wait a second...are you trying to..."

The massive surge of the outbursting energy blew into Fright Knight and pushed him away in the air. He laughed, yes, it had been a distraction.

"Are you done playing, child?" Fright grunted. "Because your petty games are getting bothersome."

He didn't even seem to have a scratch. Danny was concerned. Something always seemed to protect the knight and it couldn't be a simple resilience. They were of the same power level. Of course, that armor he wore. It absorbed all kinds of damage dealt to him if the force was not utterly overwhelming.

"Without your suit of armor you are pathetic," Fright continued, beginning to fire blasts at the half ghost. "That was the only reason you have beaten the king."

The suit...of course. Danny needed a power boost. And there was only one thing within the boundaries of the castle which could provide it. It was goddamn risky, but he had to try. Phantom conjured a shield to protect himself from another shot. It held up fine, but the upcoming strike from the sword demolished it completely.

"You know, I actually wonder," Danny deflected the attack, before slashing and failing to land a strike as well. "Have you actually worked with Vlad?"

"Plasmius is a fool."

Fright fired the beams from his eyes, which hit Danny's chest and made him hiss in pain, yet not to take a single step back, much to the shock of his opponent. Impossible, he had put everything he could in it...Phantom made a pained grin, the blast meanwhile ravaged his jumpsuit.

"Nothing new here," Danny commented. "And you have been buddy buddies with him just to steal the crown he borrowed from me?"

Phantom moved the sword aside, once again making the enemy hit thin air and the nearest column. No one could recall how they ended up within the foul castle entrance hall again. Danny could not see his friend anywhere. Yes, now of all times she decided to do as he had asked. Phantom stood on the opposite side of the pillar now.

"I shall be the wearer of the crown, you half mortal wretch. It is mine now!"

So it was in the castle now. Just as Danny hoped it would be. But where...wait.

"It is mine, Fright."

The column shattered under the sheer force of the ghost's single strike. Fright charged another shot from his eyes, simultaneously shooting blasts from both of his hands. Danny held the shield in front of him as the entire hall was being destroyed around him and he flew behind another one.

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO IT, ABOMINATION!" Fright yelled.

"A pumpkin competes with pun king for the crown. What a story," Phantom avoided the destruction of another column and fired at the annoying ghost. "Too sad the brains are cut out from them on Halloween. You probably don't even remember where you put it!"

Danny fired the ice blast. Every surface was getting a thick glacial layer as Fright flew from one cover to another. He knew that by being frozen just a little he would automatically lose.

"I am the terror of the All Hallows' Eve! I am ancient and thus..."

"Suffer from dementia?"

Fright appeared near Danny, before beating him so hard that Phantom was pinned to the column behind. The knight now held him tight. He could not phase through the ghostly object the column was. Fright laughed loudly.

"And now for your..." he reached for the sword, but found nothing. Seeing the stunned expression, Danny grinned, before spewing ectoplasm.

"Look, you even forgot your Soul Shredder. Should have distracted less."

Danny felt the grip on his neck tighten, making cough even more of the green liquid.

"What. And. When."

"Duplicate. Two minutes ago," Danny grinned. "I'm a sneaky little bastard."

"That I have no qualms about, brat. Tell me, where it is!"

"I'm afraid not," Phantom said, before the column vanished and he escaped the capture.

"What..."

"Oh, I just remembered," Danny grinned, little drop of ectoplasm sliding off the corner of his mouth, as the emerald fire lit in the torches and everything was clearly seen now. "It is my domain. And I command what it is."

Fright was suddenly surrounded by the walls. He simply blasted them off and the debris fell. Danny moved his palm upwards and the knight was flattened by the platform which sprung below him. Fright shook his head, still showing no signs of being wounded in any way. Yes, such things were meager to the ghost of his power. The ghost once again charged an orb, and Danny quickly launched the debris at him, just to stop the powerful attack from occurring. Albeit the ghost ignored the attacks, the meteor did not come to life. Only a powerful explosion happened between two ghosts. The floor beneath didn't hold up. Everything crashed downwards, into the dungeons which lied beneath.

Danny coughed, and waved away the dust. He descended into the abyss, looking around for his opponent. Phantom snapped his fingers and the light encompassed everything around. Fright must have teleported somewhere once again. Danny was on high alert, yet there was only silence. He specifically stood with his back turned to the wall, so as not to be caught. Suddenly the hand emerged from the unexpected place. From beneath the rubble it came and grabbed his leg. Danny was smashed against the ground, and falling on the sharp rocks the size of your fist is painful.

From the debris climbed the ghost, his mane now blazed with incredible intensity. Danny got up shakily as his entire front was broken and bleeding. No matter, he whispered, although his appearance showed anything but. But there was something else. Fright was now wearing a pitch black crown over his helmet, blazing with a bright green fire, just as his cape. The Crown of Fire. It did not scare Danny. It was of any use only along with the ring Phantom wore.

"It is a bit small for you," he commented with a smirk. "Oh my gourd, you are the most unfashionable king I've seen. And I've met the Fire Lord."

Fright did not say anything, only swung his hand and punched the half ghost. Danny held the fist with his hand, same could be said for another. Suddenly Phantom's right hand was harshly grabbed, his fingers snapped and he screamed in pain, fully understanding what was going to follow. It was now or never. Phantom, kneeling and twisted in attempts to resist, looked behind the opponent. The rock, surrounded by green light flew forward and hit the crown, so loosely held on his head. The blazing symbol of power flew by and landed ten meters away.

Both ghosts looked at each other and with the last strand of strength Danny blasted Fright Knight away. He then lunged forward, the very debris beneath his feet attempting to stop him by getting under his feet.

"NOO!" The ghost yelled, throwing a powerful, finishing blow at the half ghost.

And just a second before the impact, the Crown of Fire was placed on Phantom's head. The half ghost himself had his eyes shut, expecting something excruciating to happen. Nothing came. Slowly, Danny's neon eyes peeked from below the eyelids, seeing everything around vanish. There was only darkness around. He was floating in the middle of nothingness. He would have panicked, thought about being sent to oblivion, if not for the voice. It spoke in a tone impossible to describe with any words but demonstrating solid power. Only three words were said.

"You shall do."

And to the outsider there was something beyond imagination. The blinding white light made Fright cover his eyes, the flash climbed from beneath the debris and out of the grime halls of the abandoned castle. It traversed many miles in but a split second, the white radiant explosion, like a birth of star was seen from all corners of the Ghost Zone or the Spirit world. Each being could feel its grand splendor, for the strong could feel its might and the insignificant were overcome by warmth and tenderness never felt before in their cold undead forms. And everyone knew — the King was crowned.

And at the moment when the light faded enough for Fright Knight to remove his hand, he saw Phantom himself, now free of all the injuries inflicted on him, yet dressed differently. Despite the brightness of his entrance, his new armor was black, so contrasting, yet not out of place in a poetic sense of the boy who was so unique in his paradoxical nature. The armor encompassed his entire body but the head, the overlapping plates of armor making him look more powerful. Phantom's hair had burst into one single flow of energy, like a white stream. The crown blazed brightly on top of his head, the ring on his finger glowed as bright as never before. The half ghost made a step forward. Taking a sword out of nowhere he approached the shocked knight and pointed it at his throat, before saying a single word.

"Kneel."


	15. Chapter XV: The Royal Things

Azula watched the entirety of the fight with intense curiosity. Phantom had never shown such power, because the menial tasks assigned to him by her father did not require him to even shift from his human form. Moreover, Danny obviously met his match, and in terms of destructiveness it was one of the most impressive. They had destroyed the outer wall and the landmass had lost copious amounts of this named land. She truly had never seen a battle between two people to be like this, out of this world, beautiful in its terrifying showoff.

All the while she followed the fight, careful not to get caught in the crossfire. It was hard, considering that neither was looking in her direction and neither noticing that the explosion would hit her point blank. But Azula managed to avoid being smashed or wiped out of existence. And once the fighting came inside the castle, she jumped through one of the holes and watched the final episode of the battle. And as Danny was being beaten up, something panged inside of her. He better not to die now of all times. Almost tempted to intervene, the princess was stopped by the flash, and now she stared at the reborn king in his full, seemingly omnipotent glory.

There was something in his appearance, it went past the senses of the eyes, ears or skin, straight to the mind. Azula once again was stunned, able to only watch him for the time being, his very being demanded full attention. The feeling subdued soon after with the vanishing glow, but the aftertaste remained in her mind. It was hard to believe that that snarky boy she had summoned with a bowl of cereal was now this. What was there not to behold about it, even the arrogant princess could admit this, and only her father had ever received such an opinion of hers. But watch her admit this to anyone.

Fright looked...scared. Ironic. He only stared at the being radiating an immense, untamed power, threatening to end his miserable existence. Phantom kept looking at him with a stern and unswerving gaze, his neon eyes shining brightly. He waited for response. Finally the ghost came to a decision. With hope in his core, Fright kneeled before his king, the sword now away from his throat. Phantom chuckled briefly, before dispersing the weapon in the air.

"A lot of words have been said, Fright," he commented with a smile, going around the kneeling ghost. "And a lot of bones have been broken. But I am still willing to put everything behind."

"What?" Both Fright and Azula sitting above asked simultaneously.

"Yes. Shall you pledge allegiance to me, all of this will be forgotten. I am in need of a second in command and I see no better candidate for such task. If you refuse," Danny shrugged. "Well, as long as no further harm is done you are safe to leave this castle."

The ghost only stared in shock at the smiling monarch. This boy was offering him a chance even after being nearly killed by his hand. He was unbelievable, but at his memory no king ever gave him such a choice. He had either agreed or had been threatened to be wiped out. Then Fright barked a laugh.

"To where? To that wretched pumpkin? I have no place of retreat, Your Majesty."

"Well, maybe I'll get you a house on the edge of this land. Don't make things more complicated than they should be," Danny deadpanned.

Azula jumped down and slid down the column, before softly landing on the debris near him. She crossed her hands, while Phantom looked at the princess, putting his palms together. A loud clank was heard as the metal hit the metal. He grinned in a way too familiar to her. Now that was the teen she remembered. Glancing at Fright and telling him to rise and contemplate for a couple of minutes, Phantom directed his full attention at the princess.

"So..." he said longingly. "What do you think?" Danny outstretched his arms, showing off his suit of armor.

"A nice change of style," Azula shrugged. "Better than that rags from before."

"Hey those were not rags! It was my favorite hoodie. But I admit, this suit looks neat. And sharp," Phantom looked at his nails, covered by the black clawed gauntlet. His other hand went to the hip.

"And...what now?" The princess asked.

"This place needs some refurbishing. And repairs. But first of all. Serf!"

Danny clapped his hands. From seemingly nowhere appeared a green skeleton. In reality the bones were always there, waiting to be awakened. He had just formed in the last second, now carefully listening for his lord's command. He missed some parts, his left palm missed two fingers, the ribcage was snapped and the left part of the cranium was half-broken. He soon would fix this stuff. Azula stared at the corpse, grimacing and mutely taking a step aside.

"Make sure that each of my allies knows about what happened here. Invite them as well."

The skeleton bowed and flew off. As the extension of his will, the skeleton knew where to go. Then Danny looked at Fright, who had been watching the two talk.

"I am yet to hear your decision."

"Allow me to...think some more...Your Majesty."

"Fine," Danny groaned and waved his hand. "I give you...how long till the party?" He asked his friend.

"Two days," Azula yawned.

"And that's why I give you one and a half, Fright. I need to hear your decision before that."

The ghost just nodded and went off.

The following hours were hectic and full of the royal running around and seeing to everything being made exactly as he wanted. Azula wanted to sleep, but her curiosity and marvel beat everything else. Phantom felt no exhaustion, in fact, he felt better, rejuvenated even. All of that was the crown's doing, obviously. He had a lot of copious work to do and he had no time. The plans to make and the domain to rebuild in a span of hours. The first was to be done later, after the arrival of his soon to be court. Now he just stood on the highest of towers, observing the barren lands that were now his. Despite the princess's sarcastic comments, Phantom could do something about it, albeit she probably hadn't meant what she said. In a world where thoughts and conceptions are given form, where any metaphor had a shape, he was only limited by imagination. Danny was overflowing with childish excitement.

"Now, where to begin..."

"Put a volcano," Azula said after eating a strange piece of confectionary. She needed some form of food while not being distracted.

"No, it will look ludicrous here," responded Danny, rubbing his chin, careful not to cut himself with that strangely comfortable armor.

"Oh, I didn't realize you know such long words," she commented, sitting on the armchair. "It will add intimidation to this little rock of yours."

"I don't need intimidation," Danny looked at her. "And I don't need to see a damn volcano each time I go to toilet."

"Then how are the people coming in are supposed to fear you?"

"I don't..."

"Oh, please," Azula rolled her eyes. "Do you really think that this is going to work this way? This little knight of yours is conflicted merely because he now fears your power. The second you take this thing off, he will turn against you."

"You don't know this, Azula. I do not want to live in a never ending state of paranoia. I've spend enough time like that."

She made a tiny smirk. "Really now? Were you so scared of me?"

"Don't dream of it, princess."

Danny lied. That couple of days after the return from the Earth Kingdom was hectic. He didn't trust anyone around, not willing to share a single word with anyone. But to fully disparage the times before would be foolish indeed.

"Then what?" Pried Azula.

Phantom sighed, moving the crenellation up so he could lean on it. Looking out at the distance he wondered if he should tell her. What an irony, really. Destiny always arranged this play on different stages, yet made him end up with the most insensitive of the bunch of teens all the time. At first it did seem like throwing peas at the wall and it kind of was. But Danny had soon realized that there was something to that as well, especially after the Ember island, upon learning her underwater rocks that thwarted any movements.

"I just...needed to avoid attention. Or it would be the death of me. A very painful way to go."

"I presume the biggest scar is from this?"

Danny looked at her without amusement. "Yes. I managed to live through being tortured, but...my healing factor can get rid of the wounds, not what is always left after. These reminders are on me for the rest of eternity."

"Why didn't you just get rid of them?"

"Because an organization of lunatics is something I cannot handle on my own."

Danny's face was graced by a smirk. "But now, I am more than capable of this feat. While not being able to bring the death on my own, I have enough strength to order it."

"You'd better. Because I can hardly imagine the future fight as hugs and giggles."

Silence that lasted for several minutes came after this.

"I still think a volcano would be nice."

"I'M NOT PUTTING A VOLCANO!"

Eventually, after more constructive debates (the previous suggestion was just to annoy), the outer areas were more or less organized. Lifeless, and it would go by that term for the lack of imagination and death puns, landscape was now filled with plants. There had been an issue with where to put that undead army, because it couldn't just pop in and out of existence. The perfect solution was to place them within the underground tombs until the time came. With this plan in mind Phantom readjusted the torn pieces of land, along with a couple of new chunks. The crown gave him the power big enough to hold everything together. No there was enough space. Another flick and a lush forest sprung to life. Danny felt like being a god, honestly.

Some parts of the land remained untouched, even if filled with the layer of grass. That swamp like places were eradicated as he strolled through those parts. Every passing ghost could see the changes occurring throughout the land, yet they couldn't bring themselves to step there. As Phantom and Azula returned from their trip around the island, near the gates Danny received a letter that appeared out of nowhere. He was already getting the responses full of jubilation from his close friends. They were already setting off towards the keep. Ghosts and their ignorance of such problem as sleep deprivation. And speaking of which.

"Why am I even following you?" Azula asked, making a huge yawn.

"Because you don't want to be left alone in a ghost castle?"

"It's not like I can leave or something. The portal is god knows where."

"Worry not, princess. I can now make them."

"What?" Azula stopped and looked at his back. Chuckling, Danny turned around.

"This thing," he pointed at the crown. "Is granting me the knowledge and power. I know so many things now. Onye bi n'ụlọ ahụ dara wee nwụọ. I don't even get what I just said. But it is probably something."

"Oh, shut it," Azula nudged him, a loud clank followed as she nudged the black plates. "So, you can get me back now? I have to be at the Palace. Father will get anxious."

"Irritable bean, he is," Danny grumbled. "Well, I guess I can make a portal. But we need a plan first."

"I have already thought about this. I will tell him that you are working on the project without even turning up in the Palace. And only if he asks. By the day of the battle all should be ready, you already know the plan concerning that."

"Yes, yes, my soldiers are eager and waiting. The eclipse is in the morning which is obviously the time when they attack. All my army can remain invisible until the time comes. I will arrive early and notify you beforehand. Where will you be, though?"

"Father is going to hide within the special chambers I've prepared. They are going to try to push to the Palace, where they will be greeted by a nasty surprise. Nasty to them, of course. By that time their little power boost will have ended. I am going to watch from the safe place, too. Not that I am defenseless," the princess shrugged. "But you take every precaution in such high bids. Even if you are fighting a bunch of savages tossing rocks around."

Danny chuckled. "Coming from a person who thought of a volleyball match as some sort of battlefield...I'm not surprised to hear it," he patted her shoulder very, very carefully. Once again, the armor was sharp.

Phantom then clapped his hands, before the rift between the worlds the size of a human tore open. Where has this power been when he needed it so much? Well, it didn't matter, he supposed. At least he had this might now. Danny turned to the princess, before making an inviting gesture with a grin on his face.

"I'll send a messenger one day prior. Or maybe even come myself, that depends."

Azula sighed. So here it comes. She was about to leave Phantom to his own devices, with no means to watch over him. You know what? To hell with it, let things happen. This train was overfilled with coal and was now scampering forward on neck-breaking speeds. The rails were broken and the train was now going god knows there. Azula was the one who had put this coal in there and had taken the risks accompanying such decision. The train could not be stopped now and there was no going back. Jump out now and die, try to stop it by unconventional means and die. Not much choice.

"Fine," the princess approached the portal, before looking at her newest friend. "Goodbye, Danny. Do not fail me."

With that she stepped through, and the portal shut behind her.

"Goodbye," Danny mumbled.

He then looked around him. There was still much work to be done.

Phantom saw little point in a well-fortified position. Ghosts could fly, so the walls did very little, he himself had a firsthand experience. So, maybe he shouldn't make them something as gargantuan. Maybe about...fifty six feet. Yes...small and irrelevant, made of black stone. Not so thick too, it could be halved in width. The very concept of walls was for the simple purpose of medieval aesthetics. Hopefully without the all-included pack, where for the same price you get the plague, squalor and famine. He wasn't going to go back to that age completely, just to the atmosphere of the idealized world which came out from Don Quixote's vivid imagination, with chivalry, princesses, but without dragons. Whilst Dorathea lived in a domain of eternal Middle Ages, albeit slowly evolving, he was going to include modern laws and techs within the confines of seemingly backwards surroundings.

The courtyard had to be cleaned up. One snap and the filth was gone, along with the bones scattered around. Into the dungeons they went. Now what to do with the destroyed buildings...he didn't even know what he would need. Maybe a house for the servants he would hire to do the menial jobs around the castle. Because removing every puff of dust was pretty damn tedious and unrewarding. Neither was waiting until the mess would be big enough for him to pay attention. Phantom got right to that. There was enough space to fit whatever he needed. And if there wouldn't be enough, he would just twist the reality, as he was now deciding it. He put the three-story white building with black roof tiles near the wall. He was so original with colors. His mind came up with some sort of medieval inn. It looked pretty neat. Now, grass. Done, the blanket of green was laid. Then Danny removed it, ultimately deciding to lay tiles all around.

What next? The horses had to rest somewhere. Said and fulfilled in a blink. It was like some sort of simulator. He controlled every aspect of the castle now. Off with the towers! Yes, there were just too many and some looked just out of place. It was so much like the previous owner. Pompous to the point of looking ludicrous, scary to the point of making everyone shove that laugh down their throats and down to the lungs. Phantom removed the most clumsy looking towers. Those standing atop of another looked horrendous. He fixed the layout and put the missing parts back. His imagination was trying to come up with all sorts of details, Danny flew around and looked over each parapet of the castle. A couple of gargoyles looked neat, glaring at the ground below. It had taken him some time, because he was no sculptor and they at first looked ugly. Although wasn't it the purpose of those winged creatures?

Then an idea struck him. Grinning, he conjured a small green ball and put them inside the gargoyles. It was a surprise tool he would utilize later. Snickering gleefully, Phantom went on to continue with his work, floating in the lying position, the black armor not slowing his smooth flight in the slightest. Albeit not being an architect, the result was alright. Maybe he would hire someone with an obsession with building castles. For now he could rest. And eat, he was starving.

Meanwhile Azula was going to the Palace. She was dropped nearby, somewhere in the gardens. The sun was rising slowly, which meant that she didn't have much time to sleep more. Suddenly all the weight of the sleepless night, full of events blurring by side like some sort of ill delirium, caught up with her. Yawning, she went to her chambers, hoping to enjoy the few remaining hours of sleep. No one noticed Azula on her way, as she knew the path around the palace like no guard. She grumbled about not being transported to the room directly.

Once there, she simply dropped on the bed, untouched ever since her departure, falling asleep that instant. It got to be the most lively night in her life, if not the most enlightening. With that thought in mind the princess drifted off, a small smile on her face.

Some time later Azula woke up once again. It's not like she needed much sleep, but waking up in the middle of the night ruins any resemblance of a healthy visit to Morpheus's kingdom. The servants coming on their morning shifts were not to be blamed. But they were to Azula's mind, being kicked out from the room by the pissed off princess. But she was awake. Again. Then the princess realized that by getting rid of the pestilent servants she was left to her own devices. She sighed, blowing the hair away from her eyes, messy after the night. Now try to find them all across the building complex, they weren't worth the effort. Azula could do everything herself. What a way to start the morning.

Thankfully, after much of her morning procedures were done by her, some servants actually had the courage to come. Then she was able to take a bath without digging in the dirty coal. The bath had to be warm and just shooting fire at the water was damaging the bath. Now, refreshed, reinvigorated and, most importantly, not smelling like a ghoul, the princess went for breakfast. And what do you know, she of course was not alone there. Thank goodness it wasn't her father in the hall. She had no intention of talking to him yet. No, it was her beloved brother.

Zuko didn't notice her at first, fiddling with his food unenthusiastically. Azula smirked, approaching him and lightly flicking her hand through his hair. He jumped from the sudden touch and looked at the cause of this confusion. The princess chuckled.

"Good morning, Zuzu," she teased, sitting near him.

The prince mumbled a sleepy response, before rubbing his eyes. He noticed that his sister was awfully cheerful today. What was the reason he did not know. Azula noticed him glancing at her eating and smirked.

"What?" She asked innocently.

"What's going on?" Said Zuko.

"Oh, is a single smile enough to make you suspicious?" Azula mocked, raising her eyebrow. "And they call me paranoid. I just got rest, that's all."

"You don't look rested at all."

God, was it that obvious? Thankfully Zuko just shook his head and went back to eating. If he pressed forward it would have been hard to think up a viable excuse. But then the prince continued.

"Without your boyfriend today?" He said, sipping the juice.

Azula blinked and looked at him with a deadpan expression. "I don't have any. What gave you this idea?"

"Seeing as Phantom is always near you, I thought so."

She burst laughing, almost dropping her fork with the piece of the scrambled egg on it. "Oh, Zuzu. You are so impressionable," the princess tapped his cheek. "He is ludicrous, why would I ever be interested?"

"Now that's a word. Ludicrous?"

"Well, yes. Him being so dramatic about everything got annoying to this point quite fast. I got it the first time, there is no need to keep preaching his nonsense and complaining about his own issues all the time.

Zuko seemed somewhat apprehensive about the concept. The eldest teen of them all seemed more than that, from what the prince had noticed in the brief time they had been acquainted. Although he did feel uncomfortable near him. Phantom sometimes reminded him of Iroh with the patronizing tone the half ghost assumed sometimes. And any memory of his uncle was unwelcome.

"Just that?" Zuko asked. "You do realize that he would not appreciate such words?"

"Like he can hear us..." Azula suddenly narrowed her eyes. "Unless..."

The prince raised his hands. "Fine! It's not my concern anyway."

"Well, you are right, it is not. Danny is away doing his things. So if you don't want your little secrets to get out, you keep quiet."

"So he is Danny now, huh?"

Oh, he was finally getting it. For once it was she who could be teased. It had never been like this actually. Usually it ended up in fights or pretty loud arguments. For some reason Zuko decided to take his chances this time. The fortune smiled upon him, the prince was not getting another scar. The mention of the half ghost by name had used to be a superfluous gesture to her. She had never actually bothered to do so until recently.

Azula glared at him. "It's gotten tiresome to call him something. Why are you so keen on pressing it?"

"Honestly, you are yet to hear Ty Lee. She seems something in this."

Suddenly that 'occasional' encounters with Phantom in the corridors did not seem so accidental.

"Oh, I am so going to talk with Ty Lee after this. Honestly, Zuko. Drop it. There is nothing to talk about and stop bugging me with this before we even begin. He is leaving soon anyways. So we will just live merrily afterwards."

"And where is he now?"

"How do I know? Probably fiddling with all that rubbish," Azula lied swiftly.

After the food Zuko went away, probably to Mai, the princess just got down to making the last arrangements. The people of the capital had to be moved away so as not let the destruction come to them. So far the war had never come to the Archipelago. Now the public would learn what the war really was like and they wouldn't be really jubilant about the prospect of being smashed by a rock. Mostly to avoid the enemies within, evacuation was commencing. Carefully, there were obviously spies in the city. A genius scheme. To use the Fire Lord's divine authority to order the people to leave their homes with everything required for a while. 'Celebrations' were to be prepared and the people were oblivious to the reasons. It only solidified the spies' confidence in their utter secrecy.

Oh, the butterflies were having a field day within her stomach. The anticipation of a wonderful, tenderly built trap was a strong feeling. She couldn't wait to see their faces once they realize everything. But until the evening Azula was going back and forward. She didn't have absolute trust in the commanders' capabilities. Then, as the sun was descending to the horizon, she finally was free once again, free to roam the palace again, unsure where to put herself to use. As the princess came across the garden, she heard a lively chat.

"What is this about?" She asked.

The three teens looked at her from their marble bench. Ty Lee beamed.

"Oh, Azula, we were just curious where Danny is. Zuko says he is still working."

"Yes," Azula threw the prince a brief glance. It was a very subtle reminder about the preferred choice of action when asked to tell about this. "He is almost done, so he doesn't want to make a break now. Why are you so prying now of all times?"

"He is just always somewhere near," Mai shrugged. "We have got used to this."

"And him popping out of nowhere," Ty Lee giggled.

And as if on cue, the emerald flames burst from the ground next to them. From it emerged a green skeleton. It was not like the others the princess had witnessed. This one was wearing a pitch black tailcoat, which hugged its body. The thick material of the piece of clothing didn't show the sticking ribs, but maybe the green shirt beneath would have shown everything while being on its own. The black pants hung loosely, going to the patent leather shoes and covering the bones beneath. The silver buttons of his clothes glistened in the light of the setting sun. From the chest pocket the silver pocket watch were sticking out. The device unknown to the teens was merrily ticking.

From the long sleeves one could see the green boney fingers, clutching some sort of a scroll. The free hand was tapping on the chest, reaching for the watch. The green skull was adorned by a fedora hat with a white feather. The metal glasses were somewhat confusing, seeing as the skeleton lacked any eyeballs, leaving only the empty sockets. Neither it was clean on what they hung, he didn't have ears, nor the nose. The skeleton coughed politely, putting his fist in front of his mouth. Thus he snapped the teens from their confusion.

"Greetings, mortals," he said in a deep, official voice. His lower jaw wasn't supposed to move THAT expressively. But it did. "Call me Demiurge — the recently created by the imagination of my Master. His first attempt at making a proper chamberlain. I bear his word and the message. To...Princess Azula."

Demiurge handed the scroll to her. Apparently the skeleton knew her face somehow. Probably Danny told him.

"What for?" The princess asked, taking the scroll. A black seal with letter 'D' on it was snapped and she looked into it.

"My Lord wishes to ratify the agreement. Leave your signature at its bottom, after reading through, of course. If for some reason you wish to change the conditions, hand it back and I shall bring the message to His Majesty."

Ty Lee immediately appeared near Azula, peeking in. The rest were just confused at everything. Although, there was only one king they knew and who was their ally.

"What's in there?" The acrobat asked.

Azula sighed and started reading the beginning aloud.

"We, the Undead King of All Ghosts, the Lord of the Infinite Realms, the Knight-Errant of Aragon..."

"Enough," Danny said within the halls of the throne room. His voice resonated throughout the majestic hall, making the visitors feel the newfound power of his. Phantom chuckled, looking at the skeletal servant. "No need for longer introductions," he said, before turning to the visitors. "Especially if some of these titles were given by our dearest guests."

He rose from his seat of power and approached the group of ghosts standing before him. There were three of them, one of the ghosts being Dora, who was smiling broadly. Another one laughed openly. It was a giant, hulking, animal-like being. There was something canine about him, with the dog-like shape of the jaw and the pair of the sticking front, sharp teeth. He was covered in the white, messy fur. Two ice horns, one of which was battered, were sticking from the top of his head. Sharp claws on the feet and legs were intimidating. One of his hands was only a skeletal remain, encompassed in a glacial layer reminiscent of what the hand used to be. He was dressed in a blue cape and a skirt, with a golden belt, a huge diamond was in its center.

"All those months away have not changed you at all, Great One," he barked another laugh as Phantom approached him. Then he enveloped the half ghost in a huge hug, dwarfing the boy-king. He ignored the armor still being on him.

"I'm glad to see you too, Frostbite," Danny choked, "Please, I still have my spine."

He was let go, accompanied by even more chuckles. Phantom himself huffed and shook his head in amusement.

"We all thought your luck has run out, boy," the third ghost patted his shoulder. "For once I'm happy to be proven wrong."

It was a woman, probably taller than any of the present beings. She had blue skin and pupiless crimson eyes. Her body, her thighs and all four of her arms were covered by the bronze greek armor. Beneath it was the black piece of clothing with golden trimming. Her helmet was similar to the armor, it was of the same yellow-brownish color, with a purple plume, made of swirling, blazing flames. Same went for her long hair which went past her belt — the same color, the same fiery nature.

Phantom smirked. "Well, you are not Stopwatch, Pandora. Hello to you, too. So," he clapped his hands. "How are you liking my new home? It's still to be furnished properly."

"It's...impressive," the four-armed ghost eyed the room. "Nothing is superior to Greek architecture, however. These barbarians have brought their style everywhere," she complained. "But you still managed to make something good out of it."

"Oh, shush, Pandora," Dora replied. "His Majesty has a talent."

Danny blinked. She sure had got braver during the time he was away. To talk back to Pandora of all ghosts...it needed a lot of guts. That was the same princess and now the queen who had been afraid of her own brother. Phantom smiled invisibly. She had had a good influence, after all.

"As to me, this place is most grandeur, Great One," Frostbite responded, before his look turned serious. "So, albeit we are incredibly rejoiced to see you once more, is meeting us the only reason? If so, me and my people are always true to you and ready to help."

Phantom's smile withered. "While there are certain points...you know, the Observants, many other Lords who hate my guts...I mostly just wanted to talk, to see the old friends. I do need an advice or two on the state of affairs, though, I have no experience, so I could always use your help."

He received the nods of assurance. Yes, he could always rely on them.

"But I will have to leave soon for a short while. After this I will pretty much dedicate all my time to our world."

"Where are you going?"

"Is that..."

"No, not that morons in white. Although they are the third on my to-do list."

A glowing green scroll appeared.

"So far there are three things. The second being establishing the rule at least somewhat reminiscent of orderly. Now, however, I have to repay my debt."

"A debt?" Pandora asked.

Phantom moved his hand, before the table, along with the chairs appeared. After everyone took their places, Danny continued.

"Dora, you do remember that Azula is the princess, right?"

"Of course, m'lord."

"Well, her country did help me to get here. Now I must help them win the final fight of the war in exchange. Which is kind of my own accord."

"It is a noble thing to honor the agreement," Frostbite noted.

"Yes. The point is that the agreement was with the country which began this whole conflict and is a tyrannical eastern despotism. Wow, I actually learned something," he added sarcastically.

"Oh. That does complicate things," the furry ghost added.

"And I found out that the ruler of this country actually wanted me dead for quite a while."

"Then why are you still helping?" Pandora raised her eyebrow.

Danny sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Honestly, I'm doing it only for Azula. She was ordered to kill me. Not only she did not even try, she helped me finish everything. And that's how I got here. See the dilemma? I have already sent the chamberlain to get our little agreement on paper. I'm sure that I will do it. But I'm not feeling particularly good about it. So...what do you think?"

His friends hummed, each having different thoughts on the matter. Although there was little point in this whole discussion, as the King had already gone through with his decision, they understood that they were asked to respond only to reassure him. Despite everything, despite going through what most adults do not, Phantom was still a child. The opinion of the ancient ghosts was of great value to him, which was a good trait. Not many kings are able to listen to advices so openly. The first to speak was Frostbite.

"You are indeed helping the people who, I suspect, are far from being pleasant and merciful. I wouldn't have obliged to do something so drastic as going to war, but what is done cannot be changed, Great One. You could have helped that Azula person in other ways. Then again, you didn't have much choice and thus I understand your dedication. Hereby I am not judging, Your Majesty. You did what was right."

Pandora sighed. "Honestly, while I do understand this as well," she gave Danny a very sympathetic, almost motherly look. "I don't think that you should have intervened, Daniel. But since you say that that is the final battle, then your consciousness can be clean. They would have done so and without you, so your help changes little. And if they try something funny...you can just turn your weapons in another side. Your personal army is immortal, after all, neither side stands a chance."

"You are just trying to reassure me," Phantom grumbled. "I don't like this. I want to just go back on this deal, but I can't. For all her sins, her bratty nature which surfaces sometimes...she did not betray me, when so many had. And I appreciate this greatly, even if she gets more benefits from doing so than complying to her father's orders. But the question is...do I really appreciate her effort enough to go against everything I stand for? I'm torn between two principles, one of which is honoring the given promise and another not being a total jackass by killing the guys who are on the 'good' side. I mean, the people there are nicer. And I think the Avatar is a rather sympathetic fellow."

Sharp intakes of unneeded air followed.

"You have omitted this part," Pandora said.

"Yes, yes. I have already thought about this. I doubt that the spirits will tolerate me murdering the kid."

"No, they will not," Agreed Dora. "The fragile peace is at stake in this case."

Phantom groaned and leaned back.

"Damn it, I know. Maybe I'll just calmly explain everything to them..."

"They don't have any leaders," Frostbite noted. "It would make the negotiations difficult. It is not a proper way to begin your rule from the conflict that splits the world."

"If I may, milord," Dora put in. "Maybe you can secure the Avatar's escape."

"I've done so multiple times. It's getting tiresome and so utterly ridiculous..." he mumbled. "It makes me look like an idiot who can't make up his mind. But I see no other option. Maybe I will go as far as punch the Fire Lord once before I leave," the young king smiled. "Yes...it would satisfy me greatly. And hopefully no conflict shall break out and everything will be jolly and fun and I don't know where I am getting with this," Phantom rubbed his face.

"What you should always remember, Great One, is that now your every decision affects the entire world. The needs of your kingdom must always stand before any form of personal interests," Frostbite advised. The ancient ghost shifted on his seat, still uncomfortable with how tiny it was to him.

The conversation was interrupted by another burst of green fire, before the familiar skeleton stepped out.

"Your Majesty, Honored Lords," Demiurge bowed twice. "The paper is signed."

"Huh. You are quick. No problems whatsoever?" Phantom inquired, taking the scroll.

"None, My Liege."

Danny looked at his friends and chuckled. "Don't think I would thoughtlessly throw everything out of the window. Here is the list of all points made by me. I specifically made them as vague as possible. I guess it is a deal with consciousness. You can have a read."

The three ghosts did just that. The agreement was unnecessary in the first place. It basically listed all points, where the intervention was mentioned as simply 'provide assistance', and also mentioned the 'expectations for further cooperation'. All of this basically left a lot of room for maneuvering.

"It does not fix everything," Dora noted.

"No, it does not. But I at least get an illusion that all is fine and there is a way."

"And that makes little sense."

"And here goes my feeble confidence."


	16. Chapter XVI: The Invasion

"Aang, what's the matter with you?" Katara asked her friend in concern. "I thought that your nightmares have stopped."

The Avatar looked thoughtful as he was holding the reigns of their flying friend. The previous bags under his eyes had vanished, but he was still silent. The clean blue sky above was a contradiction to the cloud beneath. That was a sneaky move in order to hide an enormous bison flying through the air. If they were to be spotted, it would ruin everything. Everyone sat in the basket on Appa's back, relaxed in their continuous voyage. The exchange made the other two to look at the two in curiosity. Aang perked up and looked back at his friend.

"Oh, it's nothing, Katara. I just...saw something strange while meditating."

"Just perfect, he found another reason to worry," Sokka grumbled, before being elbowed by Toph. "Hey!" He called and moved aside.

"What is it?" Katara kept asking.

"I was talking to Roku. I just needed the final word of advice. But suddenly we saw a blinding flash far away."

"That's it?" Exclaimed Sokka, before being nudged again. "Would you stop that?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I haven't seen you there," Toph responded with a smile. Somehow she had got closer.

"Seriously," the boy rubbed his hand. "It's a white light. So that's a good thing, right?"

Everyone just looked at him with dry expressions, but then Katara seemed to rethink it, albeit differently.

"But I think he got a point," she said suddenly. "Why do you think this way about one flash of light?" The girl looked at Aang.

"That's the thing...Roku seemed concerned about it. He said that such things happen only when the king appears."

Realization dawned upon everyone. There was only one person they knew who could take that title.

"So he actually did this," Sokka mumbled. "That's bad, that's really bad."

"It could be some other undead," Toph shrugged.

"I don't think so," Aang mumbled. "And if it is someone else...Roku told me that the Ghost Kings tend to be oppressive tyrants. Phantom doesn't seem like one."

"Aang," Katara sighed. "Just because he doesn't try to kill you doesn't mean that he is not a problem. He is still Azula's ally."

"I know," Aang bowed his head sadly.

To enter the following a day with a blasphemy against the morals, what a way to start. This was a long overdue occasion. It would end in less than an hour, Phantom tried reassuring himself. One hour of immense abhorrence, atrocity upon everything his newfound kingdom stood for and all would be done. He would be a free bird, roaming the entire expanse of the ever-growing world, able to rule it without any burdens on his shoulders. Not that it wouldn't leave a nasty aftertaste in his mouth. And the gut. And every fibre of his being in addition. Better not give it too much extra thought. Just put your head in the sand and pretend that all the destruction around hadn't been for naught.

A couple of sleepless nights separated him from the fateful moment. Why should he bothered now of all times? Probably because back then his interference was just a blip on the radar, a speck of sand on the front glass that was already broken beyond repair. Enough of self-pity. He had a lot of work to do those days, the people had to face their king in his entire might, not like some sort of angsty, sulky teenager.

Many visitors were flocking to the castle. Some were the local lords pledging their allegiance, hopeful that the new king would not turn out like the previous one. Phantom did not appear threatening, he was welcoming and polite to the people he met for the first time. His enemies so far had not paid him any visit, it was concerning, but not the priority to his mind. Near him always stood Demiurge, writing down every single word for the record and the future correspondence. His speed of writing was torturing the parchment and the pen in his boney fingers. Yes, pen. The quills and blood were kind of old fashioned. On the small pillar already was a considerable pile.

"Sir," Phantom said politely to the ghost in front of him. "I am aware of your people's predicament. I'll do what I can to regulate that dispute."

"Thank you, My Lord."

The visitor bowed and went downstairs from the elevated platform on which the throne stood. The flow of visitors had turned into a trickle and now finally dried out. Sighing, the King sat on his throne, tired of the job already. He turned to his chamberlain-secretary, who in turn put the final sheet on the pile, neatly packed, before moving his dark-glass spectacles up the nonexistent nose. Demiurge awaited for what his liege had to say.

"You got everything?" Phantom asked.

"Yes, sire, all shall be sorted by the names of the petitioners in different files, then put in the shelves sorting by date."

The king smiled. "Good one. Be ready to fetch them for me later, after I come back I'll get right to them."

"Of course, My Liege...Next you have a task of arranging the things with the nearest ghosts," Demiurge said, forestalling the following question.

"Ah, yes, to invite them to settle in my lands, I remember."

He then heard a cough on his other side. Turning to the left, Phantom faced Fright Knight. He just stood there, leaning on the guard of his sword pointed downwards. Despite how he looked, Fright, like any other ghost, was silent and utterly unnoticeable when he wanted, which was basically never until now as far as Phantom knew the dreadful specter. Smiling warmly, Danny rose from his seat and faced the ghost. They were, surprisingly, almost of the same height.

"Would you look at that," he said in a calm tone, despite the obvious sarcastic nature of the statement, "Is it the time already?"

"Yes, Phantom," the ghost declared curtly. "I have come to a decision."

"And that would be..." the king clasped his hands slowly.

"First I have to make certain inquiries. For I have realized how little is known to me about you."

"Well, I was born on October 13..."

"Not this kind," interjected Fright rudely. "What would you have me do?"

"I need a second in command. I already have a chamberlain, so paperwork is not to be your concern. But sadly Demiurge's name is quite ironic, because he, despite everything, is unable to go past the limits of my own intelligence. Being the extension of my being. Not to offend..."

"None taken, sire," the chamberlain responded, "It's counterproductive to be offended by truth."

"Heh, I've created him just right. But in any case, I need more people in my service. Pariah saw something in you, something I'm more than keen on uncovering."

"I make no secret of it. I have proved my prowess in battle. Being his servant I have quickly ascended in the ranks."

"I meant why he kept you still and sound and not just ended your existence when he had a chance...But truth be told, you do make a valid point. I require the ghosts who can act in any development on my quest to unite this world once again. Not only diplomats...but also those who can lead my armies to settle the issues in a harsher way. Mindless skeletons can only get you this far, you know, you used to lead them. Name your conditions, Fright. I can now grant you a lot."

"Any form of condition?"

Phantom sighed. "I admit, no war goes without killing. No matter how hard I tried to lower the deaths during the battles on the side of my allies, there were always corpses of those I was unable to restrain or knock out. Not my kills, but still. So...yes, my pacifist ideas won't be of any concern to you. That already answers numerous questions, as I'm giving you the right to act as you deem fit if I don't tell you otherwise. So, spill it out."

"All I demand, then, is the respect. Pariah saw me as a worm beneath his feet, Plasmius — as a pawn in his play of wit. If you turn out to be just like them, I will take my leave and reject. Reject your suggestions, vague promises without a second of doubt."

Phantom chuckled. "Have I been anything but throughout this discussion? As long as you serve me well, I think we will think up something nice. Is it decided then? Or should I also remove all the pumpkins in the entire domain as well?"

"That would be appreciated."

"I was kidding, but alright. No pumpkins allowed," Phantom chuckled, patting his belt. "So, what do you say?"

The Soul Shredder was taken from its sheath. It looked threatening, but Danny remained calm throughout the ordeal. Fright then put it horizontally, holding it on the two palms, before wordlessly kneeling before his new lord. The loud sound were created by the clanking armor, the purple flames on his back made it somewhat hard to get closer to him.

"I swear fealty to you, then, King Phantom. I shall slay your foes and bring terror upon their fold."

That was probably the main reason he agreed. Fright could now do whatever he wanted if the King degreed. Phantom chuckled at this thought, before speaking again.

"Rise, Fright. You already have the first task."

"Already?" The newest servant asked in surprise, as his eyes widened.

"Yep. One of my close neighboring lords threatens to bring his own soldiers here. To think that one pathetic ghost could challenge me already. I expect you to bring him to me tied up by this evening. He doesn't want to come willingly. I will kindly explain the things, but some people have to be taught a lesson that when the King summons you, you come one way or another."

Fright nodded. "It shall be done, milord. It is Lord Vect, I presume? He is insufferable."

"Yes, him. Now go and please quickly. There is one more thing we need to do this evening."

The ghost bowed his head, before vanishing from sight. Phantom smirked. Finally he had a general for his armies. Now it was time for Danny to leave for a visit to the singularly living ghosts, who weren't united under a powerful Lord. With them he spoke near their haunts, just to show that he was not like 'those guys'. He cared about their wellbeing, and he tried to utilize his entire charisma.

His small journey could be considered a success. The lands around were not filled with much inhabitants, the cursed keep and all that. They were brave to settle in close proximity, he had to admit. The ghosts showed interest and to say that they were stunned when the King knocked at their doors would be an understatement. Some were reluctant to settle in the domain of some backwards monarch, but upon realizing that it wasn't the case of Aragon's kingdom, decided to settle in. The only condition was not to build too modern exteriors so as not to turn the land into a sprawling, chaotic patch blanket.

Inviting the people and splitting the land was a time-consuming process. By the time he finished, Demiurge already proposed a plan for the first people's dwellings. A treasure, not a servant. But he was not a city planner, because Danny was not. The chamberlain had already sent the message to find one. But, as Phantom returned to the castle, the throne room was already visited by his newest subordinate. Fright was standing near the royal throne, alone, surprisingly.

Danny raised his eyebrow, descending from the air, as he was too lazy to use the staircase.

"Fright. Where is Lord Vect?"

Fright tapped on his sword, letting the message sink in. Upon realizing everything, Phantom nodded.

"Oh, well, bring him here now."

Immediately the ghost popped out of nowhere. To say that the conversation went less than politely would be a mistake. No, he was pissed, and required one choke and a couple of hard slaps to stop being a pompous fool first. Now he was listening, while still being one. Phantom argued with the Lord, who was still refusing the monarch's reasonable proposals. It went as far as accusing the petty ghost that he was challenging the authority. That did the trick, Vect was now backing down, knowing that otherwise he would be killed again without violating the law.

Finally, Vect was sent away, leaving the two ghosts alone. Phantom looked at Fright.

"Now when the last matter is out of the way, we can get to the big things."

"What is it?"

Phantom chuckled, before snapping the fingers. Once again a table appeared, as there was no point in walking to the office now. On the table lied two maps, to which Fright was not accustomed yet. The first one showed the map of the world that housed the half ghost for a couple of months, whilst the second one was showing the map of the city and the neighboring harbor.

"I've fetched the maps so we could prepare our operation."

Briefly explaining the matter to Fright, Phantom now awaited for the only general of his army to speak.

"They are on the level of both the outdated eastern weaponry and the modern one?" The ghost raised his invisible eyebrow. "That is entirely new."

"Fire Nation fits this definition," Danny clarified. "The rest are more of the first category. These are the ones we shall be fighting against. I have also, secretly, taken a couple of sabotaging acts. If the Fire Nation does everything by itself, our effort would be looked down upon. Their zeppelins are not going anywhere, I did warn them, fire bending bodes badly with the hydrogen."

"And you are out of suspicion?"

"Again, I did warn them. All of this is but a mere accident."

"You ARE basically killing them."

Phantom sighed in a strained way. "You are right. But I can only hope that it's otherwise. Maybe there are a lot of people I killed indirectly and never knew about. Moving on...once our opponents realize that all of this has been but my dearest friend's scheme, they would try to retreat. Obviously the same way they came. Which would be some sort of sea vessels. While the majority of their army is in the city, we will attack their rear and destroy their ships. None shall be left, there is no escape from the archipelago. Then. We will wait for them to come, we will finally do what is needed."

"The plan is simple. Nothing me and my sword cannot accomplish."

"Yes, I do believe you. Now...we shall land our forces on this hill..."

The clocks were ticking. Phantom was getting anxious with each passing hour. The crown was flickering on his head, rendering the sleepiness all but nonexistent. The power of the artifact flowed through him as an unstoppable stream, it was such an invigorating and energizing feeling. He never felt tired in these days, despite actually trying to sleep each time every given day. Oh, well, doesn't matter, he supposed. Phantom was given more time to spare or utilize, inspecting his armed forces deep below the surface. Them showing up outside would leave a wrong impression. He was deciding on whom he should send, as he possessed the soldiers from different ages, who died in anguish and despair, sadly losing their sentience in the process. Was it humane to utilize them? Well, they aren't going anywhere anyways, he was putting their remaining skills to use.

There were arquebuseers, musketeers and pikemen from the New age; Roman legions, one time lost in the forests of Germania or in the conniving sands of Egypt; Vikings, who had never seen the shining halls of Valhalla and instead were doomed for eternal service to the ruler of what they deemed to be Helheim; the majority consisted in the men fallen during the World wars, armed with guns left upon their corpses. Not all the dead were piled in the form of bones here, otherwise, even if those were not all corpses of the fallen, that tomb would have taken thousands of kilometers. Phantom could always raise more souls and give them some sort of resemblance at the expense of his own power.

The more modern the soldiers were, the more kills would be on his conscience, with how effective the weaponry was becoming. The attackers wouldn't be scared by arrows, though. Phantom just knew what had to be done, he would take the New age soldiers — a golden middle in his disposal. Better dress them up properly. It was not a battle he prepared for, it was going to be a slaughter. Renewed armors and coats, all black with silver trimming, were put on their thin bodies. The formation was so big that Phantom had to ride around it on a horse in order to inspect everything.

Now Danny stood before his forces, right below the splendid castle. The tall caverns were hiding in the darkness above, unreachable for the green torches. The steed below him was huffing and shifting impatiently. It didn't have armor on, unlike that of general. Only the caparison made of soft black material was on the horse's back besides the saddle. On it was the royal symbol, as he had nothing besides a flaming 'D', it would do for a while. The caparison was fitting the entire color scheme, covering the black steed, possessing leathery wings. The black head was also covered, only the sticking ears and the neon green eyes could be seen. Phantom had no need for armors on his horse, for reasons known only to him. Maybe he thought of the steed only as the means of transportation.

Fright was also riding his own. Nightmare was his name. It befitted the winged horse just perfectly. Armored heavily with the shining pieces of hard metal, with the blood red eyes blazing through. Battered, torn leather wings were outstretched proudly. Its green flaming mane was almost obscuring the view. The steed looked very muscular and bulky, especially in comparison with the royal one, which was obviously a choice in favor of maneuverability and elegance.

"What are we waiting for, my liege?" Inquired Fright impatiently.

"For the right moment," Phantom looked down at Demiurge. "What time is it?"

"Eight in the morning, m'lord."

"Hmm..." The king rubbed his chin. "Everything must have begun, but it would be better if one person scouted ahead."

"Are you suggesting that we wait more?" The general grunted.

"Yes. You of all people should know that the right moment brings victory."

"It does not imply that I am happy with this."

"Still, I'll go scout ahead. I have more chances of staying unnoticed."

The knight looked at his king with a dry look. "My lord, you are a glowing individual in a burning green crown, atop of the winged horse. With a black cape, white fur padding. You are as unnoticeable as a camel in the arctic."

Danny raised his eyebrow. "What a strange comparison. I'm still going, though."

He snapped his fingers, opening the tear between the worlds. "Be right back. Once the portal opens again, you go in and fight."

Phantom spurred the horse lightly, before trotting inside.

The dark caverns were replaced by the light of the sun reaching for its zenith. Danny raised his hand, attempting to shield his eyes, unused for such brightness yet. Blinking a couple of times, the king jumped at hearing the explosion. He wasn't far, landing precisely where he had intended to. It was one of the edges of the enormous volcano, in which the capital lied. From below he was but a small dot, but he could see the battle far away. Shifting on his seat, Phantom reached for the small bag situated on his horse's side. Taking out a binocular, he looked there in all the details.

So, the landing was commenced by using peculiar machines. He had missed the beginning, so the spearhead of the invasion had already reached to the middle of the huge Royal Plaza. The wide road of white stone was leading to the serpentine slithering to the city. It was the path the attackers had reasonably chosen. It's not like they all could fly to the city, they had to go up there like anyone else. The ensuing battle involved a lot of bending, fire-breathing tanks and some earthbending-powered tanks on theother side. They multi-segmented tracked vehicles powered by four earthbenders from the seems of it. Articulated in the middle, the tanks reared up and crushed objects in their way. The treads were made of plates of earth strung together by a metal wire, allowing the earthbenders to control the tank. These vehicles can house many troops and cross almost any terrain. Their armor was highly resistant to fire, making them ideal for assaults on enemy positions. The tanks sported side hatches that opened up so that those inside can launch projectiles at enemy troops. Being made of very strong metal, they could also be used as barricades to protect warriors. And that they had done.

Under the massive bombardment from the defensive forces they had formed a wall, planning to regroup. Just a little longer. Then Phantom would bring down his blow. But what shall he do next? Probably find Azula in order to coordinate the attack. But damn it, try to come across her in that mess, you would end up smashed by a rock or burnt to a crisp by that moment. Phantom hummed in thought, becoming intangible and thus phasing through the rocks falling on him. That was an atrocious miss. He kept thinking up a scheme, being fully knowledgeable and enthralled in the schemes of the princess. Danny attempted to remember every little piece, so as not to fail.

Then he noticed a small dot high in the sky. At the more precise glance Phantom noticed that it was the glider that only one person in that world was capable of using. Danny knew where to go, after all, besides thwarting the kid's efforts, he also could see the harbor from above. He and his horse moved up the volcano as the steed was also capable of flight. Getting to the top in no time, Phantom watched Aang move in the direction of the palace. Meanwhile he took notice of how deserted the city was. The princess had done her job well. Upon landing close to the palace himself, Danny quickly trotted through the streets, strangely quiet despite what was going out of the boundaries of the capital.

Once he was passing, from nowhere emerged a fiery blast, one which the king easily blocked at the wave of his hand. Several black-armored soldiers jumped from the cover, but before they could do anything, they were stunned at what they were seeing.

"Next time," Phantom dusted his pauldron. "Ask before attacking the Ghost King," he said dryly.

That did it, the soldiers actually paled. The more they stood nearby, the more frightened they were becoming.

"Your Majesty!" One of them said loudly. "We are sorry, we know only of rumors, not how you look..."

"We have no time to lose," Phantom interrupted urgently, his voice loud and echoing. "Tell me everything about the goings and, please, make it quick."

It turned out they didn't know anything at all, what a waste of precious time. The soldiers still had to obey him, as there were no orders telling them otherwise. So they just returned to their posts, waiting for the actual enemy. Easily phasing through the gates, he leaped into the palatial grounds, just as empty. And as he was passing, the glider once again flew far over him, making the half ghost growl. God damn it, he had to at least make them go deeper, they must not realize the trap until it is too late. One little shot above. Aang did not expect the fire from the ground to ever reach them, so suddenly no less. But it was not a fire, and he had to softly land near the wall, baffled at what just happened.

"Having fun?"

Aang spun around, before freezing at the sight of the ghost king. Guess his appearance was off putting indeed. The wind just had to make his pitch black cape flow menacingly.

"Who are..."

"Take a wild guess," Phantom grinned, shifting the steed, to whom the glance of the airbender darted occasionally.

"Phantom!"

Danny clapped his hands slowly, making a clanking sound. "Congratulations," he smirked. "You are actually one of the few who were able to guess."

"What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" The king raised his eyebrow. "Repaying my final debt. Your little invasion was doomed to failure."

"Why...how did you know about this?"

"In the Library of Wan Shi Tong, one naive professor didn't watch his mouth enough. Besides, the Earth King is just as keen on spilling the beans."

"And you prepared," Aang concluded grimly.

"Azula did, my job is to merely assist. So...I guess we'll have to fight for that."

"You don't have to!" Shouted the Avatar. "I need to go, just leave it."

"Are you seriously asking for this?" Phantom blinked. "Didn't know you were of such high opinion of me. But going back to square one is no use..." then an idea occurred to him. "Yet...yes, you may go."

Aang was surprised that actually worked. He unrolled the glider again, it wasn't seriously damaged, he could still fly.

"One more thing, Avatar," Danny said, making Aang look back. "The palace has an underground labyrinth of the caverns. The Fire Lord may be hiding there within a bunker."

"How would you know?"

"Azula told me. And I knew about the bunker's existence already. Ta!"

Aang jumped and flew off. Phantom meanwhile smiled. All was going just fine.

He followed the Avatar from below, quickly moving on his steed. Phantom very slightly lagged behind, stopping once again at the road upwards. The soldiers around somehow already learned about him. Damn, the communication was perfect around here. Phantom looked from above at the entrenched warriors, wondering about what he should do.

"Y-Your Majesty, do you need us to do something?" The commander asked.

Danny looked questioningly at the gates below, the ones which led to the serpentine. They had broken through, starting to go up. The familiar glider once again was in the air, and Phantom knew that the kid took the bait.

"Shall we shoot him, sire?"

"No," Danny said to the shock of many. "Let them go. We have another fish to fry. Literally. Keep shooting! The timing should be perfect," he mumbled.

Phantom finally jumped down the horse, approaching the edge of the cliff. They had to get far enough so as to prevent the enemy from retreating. He wasn't enthusiastic about using the blade on his belt. Was he actually going to kill anyone? Danny wasn't sure. Many people below would die at his direct orders, so there was no escaping it. His hand shook a bit as he unsheathed the sword, taking a deep sigh. It glistened with a deathly green color, reflecting the sun rays. He gripped the blade tighter. Do it, the voice in his head said. And he would never ever face the same dilemma ever again.

"Issue a retreat."

"What?! Sir, we are holding them just fine!"

"I said, retreat. I'll do everything myself."

The commander nodded, before running to the small tower. He picked up a horn and blowed it for all its worth. The soldiers below heard that and unquestionably moved up the road, much to the thrill of the attackers, who were now shooting at their backs.

"That's strange," Katara commented, shifting a hold on her limping father. He had short brown hair with a small ponytail, with a beard and blue eyes. Like all soldiers of the Water Tribe he was wearing a blue armor which had white patterns on it.

"They probably want to evacuate to a better position. The eclipse is soon," Hakoda muttered, attempting to stand on his own once again and failing. "Keep moving, but watch out!" He shouted.

"Hakoda!" Someone from the soldiers yelled as he approached him. At the wordless question, the man only pointed at the sky.

Phantom descended from there, his glowing eyes watched the attackers with an amused expression. No matter how many times people were surprised at seeing him like this, he would never get tired of this.

"Well, hello there!" He smiled, standing right in their way.

"What. The heck," Katara mumbled, but even Phantom was not able to pick that up.

"Let's be brief. To get through you will have to pass me," Danny made a fencing motion. "Come and get there. And I'll see how you fare against the Ghost King."

At these words the crown burned more intensely. Shaking off their initial surprise, the united forces lunged forward. And thus the fight to test the newfound power began.

The first wave of the simple spearmen was faced by a huge wave of energy, following the sword at the slashing motion. It knocked the entire regiment like rag dolls, all around, hitting the rocks, other soldiers and the metal walls of their improvised tanks. From the inside emerged the earth benders, who launched the rocks at him. One was phased through, before Phantom punched another, crumbling it into parts. He charged a blast into the bastard who dared to show his face from behind the metal walls. He saw a torrent of water coming his way.

His eyes glowed blue, before double beams emerged from them, freezing the water and making an extra obstacle on the path of the invaders. Even more non-benders ran his way, the sword of the king burst into emerald flames. The first attacker clashed the blades, Phantom broke the approaching spear with his bare hand like a twig, before tossing him aside and knocking over some more men, all the while blocking the hits of the swordsman. A strong punch of the fist encased in a gauntlet was enough to get rid of such thing as consciousness and a couple of teeth. Another slash in the air did not let surround him, Phantom even exploded some more rocks flying his way. The shards hit only the allies, as the king put up a shield.

"Is that all you've got?" He shouted, before blasting that damn tank with all he had.

The explosion torn away the frontal metal plate, as well as earning the concussion to the people in close proximity. That would get rid of the pesky annoyance for a while. Now, when he had their undivided attention, it was time for this beast to shut its jaw.

In the harbor were still the submarines used for getting into the Fire Nation territory. Several soldiers were standing there just in case. In that there was little point, for they wouldn't be able to do much if the Fire Nation would magically get there. What gave them confidence is the fact that the only way into the city was also the only way out. Either side was stuck there, so there was no fear about being attacked. They were about to be sorely disappointed. Right in front of them appeared a giant green vortex, and many did not have enough time to even see the emerging threat.

Loud cracking sounds of exploding gunpowder were the harbingers of their swift deaths. Ironic turn of events that the people were reminiscent of Indians in subtle ways (as those similarities were shared with the Northern tribes of Siberia and America as well). For now they faced the Spanish weaponry, much more advanced than their pitiful arrows. The advance was conducted on two sides of the portal, and each regiment followed the formation laid by their commanders during their lives. Formed into a hollow square, the pikemen, with their weapons threateningly standing tall in their firm two-handed grips, presented a wall that was hard to penetrate. Within the square stood the swordsmen. And in the corners outside stood the regiments armed with arquebuses, smoking after the recently made shots.

On his horse Fright went out of the portal, before it closed behind them. He unsheathed his sword, before yelling an order to advance. He put half of his forces to form a wall on the way of the forces that were to retreat. Another half kept firing at the people near the submarines, not leaving them any chance of surviving the ordeal. The soldiers hid within the transports, unknowing that the ghosts had something for that as well. The cannons were rolled out. Ignition, a series of deafening explosions, many cannon balls flew towards the submarines, engulfed in green flames. Seeing this business being taken care of, Fright looked up at the road, wondering about what was to come next.

Phantom meanwhile lifted the attackers in the air, before tossing them away with a bored expression. He was far from being pushed backwards. On the contrary, it became evident that the teen was too powerful for them, he was merely toying with them, without ever bothering to kill once. Although the people lying around were seriously wounded. The Fire Nation soldiers just watched with marvel, glad to be away from the fighting. Danny laughed at their pitiful efforts, alright, he enjoyed his unstoppable power more than he had any right to. No wonder Pariah got mad from this. Now this nagging thought tapped on his mind. He would think about this later.

"Come now, start fighting already!" He shouted, before the sounds of cannons reached his ears, making everything clear to him. The clocks were ticking. And speaking of the clock, the moon disk touched that of the sun. "Get lost and go where you came from! I'm still merciful. You are about to lose the chance."

"Not. A chance, you piece of filth!" Hakoda limped forward, seeing as many of his men were reluctant about repeating the advance. "We will not retreat!" Katara came in to help him, to prevent him from falling, all the while she glared balefully at the king.

"I never said anything about retreating. You better just surrender. The eclipse is near and you are likely to fail...but my job here is done," Phantom gave an ominous laugh, that sent shivers down their spines. Then he vanished, still laughing.

"What shall we do, Hakoda?"

The soldiers understood that their time was running out. Now they wouldn't be able to reach the centre in time because of that nuisance. It was a big concern whether or not he had disappeared to not be seen again. Or had decided to just wait out. But there was no time for pondering. They moved to attack the Fire with what had remained.

Desperation, Danny concluded. They had bet everything on this strike, and that feeling could give extra boost to both bravery and stupidity. Which one of those was more prevalent at the moment was quite complicated to guess. What he could not deny is that the actions of the attackers were far from being thoroughly planned. Unlike his own. Now floating high above the ground, he could see that the attack on the ships was successful.

He simply returned to his second in command. The soldiers immediately stood still in a single motion. Not that it wasn't done on his own will. Fright looked at his King, who was on his horse again, stopping near the ghost of terror.

"What will you do?"

"Wait."

The battle was not going well for the Fire Nation anymore. Too relaxed, they were. And when the attack came to them, it just showed the sheer incompetence of the local soldiers. The ghosts did sweep the shore, the ships were sunk and the meager escapists were not their concern. Phantom meanwhile sat and contemplated on the options of his further actions. And as he was thinking, he was nudged slightly. He looked questioningly at Fright, who merely pointed above. Danny looked up and instantly regretted doing so. The sun crown burned his eyes.

"Damn it, you could have warned me!"

In response Fright only laughed. And here Phantom thought that the guy was incapable of any emotions of this kind. The eclipse had begun. The shroud of darkness had befallen on the land, and only the ring above gave any sort of light.

"Check your watch, gentlemen," Danny called to everyone around, albeit he was the only one with the clock. So, it begins.

The ghosts were waiting. That insufferable waiting made less than ten minutes seem like eternity to the very impatient teen. Danny kept looking through the binoculars, but it was largely pointless, because it was, well, dark. Sighing, he put the useless device away. He then leaned on the neck of his horse, resting and childishly waving his leg. There was no point in pretending to be what he wasn't when no one could even see him. Unbeknownst to him, Fright did have a proper vision. He rolled his eyes, preferring to ignore the act. Phantom sighed and stood straight, before he saw the moon losing its grip on the shining disk.

"Finally!" He groaned. "Now, soldiers, prepare. Now comes the final accord of this grande spectacle. Now we have to wait for them to realize their...what the hell."

The zeppelins. The balloons. They were in the air despite all his best efforts. Who knew they checked them every once in a while? Should have left nothing intact. In contrast to the small, two-man crew war balloons, the Fire Nation airships were enormous vessels, comparable to Fire Nation cruisers in size, composition, and crew complement. The structure was made entirely of metal and can carry at least fifty crew members. These war machines were powered by hot air and employ multiple propeller sets on the sides of their hulls for propulsion. They were extremely long and were adorned with an ornamental dragon's head to instill fear into enemy forces. Doesn't matter, Danny saw the attackers rushing for their boats down the cliff. Phantom tapped on his armor. Here comes the hardest part, when he was to give the final order. Would he have enough guts to say one single word? Do it, damn it, your men already killed some of them, and on your own orders, no less.

On the one hand it was good that he had held them back, they saw the zeppelins sooner and turned back accordingly. It made him feel disgruntled. Some balloons with hot air seemed more terrifying to them than the undead king. Is loathing everything he got? It was mildly infuriating. Not that he wanted to be feared by everyone, but it was somewhat insulting.

Phantom ordered to go invisible. The entire legion vanished from view, which was a sight to behold. The previous statement was kind of ironic. Then he saw a familiar flying bison flying away, far on the distance. Well, he had no way to counter that. He could, hypothetically, shoot it down, but he couldn't be bothered. Once again, that wasn't his problem. Yet, his eyes were more glued to the balloons. They weren't slowing down above the attackers, they kept going further. Something was clearly wrong, it even distracted Phantom from apprehending his enemies. Then, they dropped bombs.

The earth benders made shields, summoning them from the ground. Phantom, furious beyond all measure, flicked his hand, and the green dome absorbed the explosions above his own forces, not even a minute had passed. It could not be a mistake. The attackers were far enough from the ghosts for it to be a simple misfire. The fire benders above the ground shot at both sides, fully enjoying the lack of any nuisance in the sky, both natural and human-wise. The bombs were dropped, as the zeppelins could only get you this far. Only the fire benders kept shooting, and that was enough for Phantom to step outside of his own hideout.

"ENOUGH!" He bellowed so loud that the people on the balloons stopped in shock for a moment. "Shall you not cease fire against your ally, we will retaliate!" Everyone, even the attackers buried beneath the rocks could hear that.

But they had orders to fire at the both. After all, what could he possibly do to them? Phantom now knew perfectly well that if even after a warning they didn't not stop...well, it was all planned. Damn Fire Lord. His hair began to flow intensely, the crown fit the scorching whirlwind within him, its green tongues of flame touched the edges of his stark hair. Phantom floated above the ground, somewhere between the airships and the ground. The fire blows hit him dead on, but didn't even leave a scratch. His eyes blazed with such an intense green light that the pupils were gone. Everyone was far from eager to see what he was about to do. His hand glowed, before he grinned widely.

"I knew my love for space would pay off," he mumbled.

From nowhere the airships were hit by a barrage of huge, flaming boulders fell like a rain, so intense and terrifying that the sky itself was barely seen behind the rubble, the smoke, the tongues of flames engulfing the meteorites he had summoned amidst the fighting. The event of such scale now obeyed his mere will. The rocks hit the airships, penetrated the metal, went inside the surface and the entire zeppelins blew up, unable to learn from the disaster. The one to which the only response was the call for humanity, and Hindenburg was the coffin for the age of zeppelins.

The falling space objects destroyed everything on their wake, buildings, walls, the ground was mottled with the meteorites. The falling, blazing airships on the verge of explosion, the never ending rain and Phantom floating amidst that chaos and destruction, orchestrating that opera, where the music was played by the loudest drums in existence, where the singers were on these very ships, screaming in terror. And it was in that moment, when he instilled horror into the hearts of everyone present. Fright watched all of this from below the green dome, and at this instant he understood. It was his King, the one whose power shall never be questioned.

Nothing left of the flying fleet. Not a single one remained in the air, the ground below him could barely be seen under the debris, even two sides of the conflict were separated by the destruction. His power surge vanished, and now he could see the results of his work. Oh, after this he was going to chat with the Fire Lord. Agonizingly. He then was struck with realization. He killed his soldiers. He killed them all.


	17. Chapter XVII:Not the best outcome

Removing the dome above his army, Phantom descended to the ground, staring into nothingness. His soldiers could not cheer, for he did not order them to, Fright, however, realized the same thing as his lord. Slowly he approached Danny from behind, jumping off his horse. He was the worst candidate for giving reassurance, comfort. But he knew that Phantom needed at least someone to pat him on a shoulder and tell him that that's alright. The king just looked at his hands, now belonging to a mass murderer. How many people were there? Hundreds? Thousands? Some of his own soldiers fell victim, but they had been lifeless to begin with. Those rotting husks of whatever life had been dimly shining inside were of little concern, he would make more. But he slaughtered the living. He took their lives. No proper person felt good about sullying one's hands in blood, no matter to whom it used to belong.

Fright felt the teen shake beneath his hand. Danny obviously tried to hold himself together, but was failing.

"I...I k-killed them," his voice was so small and timid, once again he was a young, inexperienced teenage boy, faced with all horrors of the world.

"They wanted to kill us, Your Majesty. You did warn them, foolish annoyances, and they did not heed. No one shall judge, for there is no need."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?!" Phantom growled, before shaking his head. "Get to the portal. I have some work to do here."

Fright bowed, turning around and facing a huge gateway. He commanded the soldiers to move inside. As the marched there, Phantom went in the opposite direction. Making his way through the pieces of debris, tossing the metal and the rocks out of his path. The stone construction, as if the earth benders felt his approach, was gone, and Phantom could see their faces now. Terror, fear, they were right to have such feelings towards him. Gone was the will to fight him, the will to talk back to the being of tremendous power. Phantom scanned the crowd for that one guy in charge.

"I've destroyed your ships," he said, landing on the ground. "So you cannot escape from the island. You are not my priority now, so you might as well leave into the woods or something."

"Looks like you are betrayed," Hakoda said, but without his daughter watching him now. He had that smug smirk on his face.

"Indeed. That is why I'm going to talk to him."

Strangely enough, the people now had a shared thought. He was now the enemy of the Fire Lord...maybe not everything was lost? The following thought was less optimistic. What was better? A fire bending tyrant or a man who could cause a damn apocalypse at the move of his hand? They did not know that Phantom didn't need that world, he needed but one man. Passing the sheltered crowd, who scattered away from him as Moses and the Red sea. He vanished from their sight, only to go forth, completely unnoticed. Whistling loudly, he got his horse. That Fire enthusiast better expect a loud entrance. Speaking of...

"WHAT?!" A thunderous yell was heard all across the throne room.

Ozai had just returned from his hideout. Already he looked furious, it was a miracle the carpet beneath him did not set ablaze in the process. And the War Minister just had to bring even less pleasant news. Shaking like a leaf, he was now afraid for his life. Azula, just summoned there as well, only watched in curiosity. And somehow she suspected that the half ghost played his role in all this mess. Oh, how right she was. Painfully so.

"Our entire armada...it's destroyed...Your Majesty."

"How?!" The Fire Lord shouted. "Are you saying that the Avatar..."

"No, My Liege. It was only the Ghost King. He made the sky itself crumble on our balloons and ships! No man has ever had such power," he mumbled the latter part. Azula caught it, remarking that he was not exactly a man per say...

Then it hit her when Ozai's eyes fell on her. Oh, no, what has he done...

"Yes, because for some reason he is still here. Walking and breathing."

"Father, I..."

"SILENCE!"

Even the princess immediately fell on her knees and bowed her head. Ozai rose from his throne and made a step further, down the small staircase. The generals and the War Minister watched in shock. Never had the Fire Lord raised his voice to his only heiress and the most devoted and capable subject. Azula had the same idea. It was the first time she saw him being angry not at someone else. But only at her. Her stomach twisted on the inside in anticipation of what was to come.

"I gave you the orders to kill him, Azula! I gave you the time and you have failed! Not only is he walking freely, he has brought an entire army at our doorstep!"

"He has merely..."

"I said. Quiet. I do not need your further apologies, your defense of that abomination! He has destroyed our forces. And henceforth he is our enemy. We shall destroy him like all others before him."

"I would like to see you try."

All the eyes darted towards the entrance, wide open because of the angry visitor. Phantom's neon eyes were transfixed on the man sitting on the throne, gloating at his superiority. The calm look sent shivers down the audience's spines, for this boy had not come there to chat, that much was obvious to everyone who was not a deluded lunatic. Albeit, one overconfident moron, who just so happened to occupy the over glorified potty chair made of gold, carried the other kind of misconception. Without further ado, without saying another word, Phantom slowly approached the other end of the room. Silence was becoming a hydraulic press, and compared to it many were the mere aluminum cans. What remained of the metal cylinders wearing uniforms was just tossed aside at the wave of the king's hand. Tossed aside like rag dolls, neither the fire bending generals, nor the guards were able to even make a step further. Each clank of the armor on Phantom's body was accompanied by several hurt grunts and groans that could be heard. The fire in the torches was becoming faint, turning into emerald-green, trickling, meager source of light.

It was growing dark, and with the doors shut behind, with every exit locked because Phantom willed them to be, there was no other way of attaining the thinnest strand of golden light, but from the fire behind Ozai's throne. The king embraced his nature, the nature of the being he was. He was the overlord of his world, terrifying, inevitable, yet his expression was calm and unswerving. He was the embodiment of death. And this person had just strolled into the palace. Now, Phantom stopped before the throne. His look fell on Azula, but only briefly. For the princess, who stood by side, it was hard to read his emotions. The face of his was a piece of cold, insensitive rock.

"I warned you, didn't I?" Phantom asked. "Fire does not go well with balloons. Albeit, that was hardly the reason of your failure."

"You dare come in here after all of this?" The Fire Lord rose from his seat. His thin, boney fingers showed up from beneath the robes.

Danny didn't bulge. "And you somehow dare to breath the same air as me. Do you realize what you have done, hm?" Without awaiting the response, he continued. "No, you don't understand. One cannot expect a pompous idiot to have enough cranium capacity," Phantom tapped on his sword. "You have released something. The death of your soldiers are on my hands," his voice became barely above the whisper. "I've lost control," Danny kept talking. "And you are at fault."

"Me? You are the one who brought an army here! To MY domain!"

"Per your daughter's request. I was about to leave, but then you started bombing my men. I gave them the warning."

"And what are you hoping for? You are an enemy now, give or take."

"Enemy? Please, what happens here is actually what amounts to a pile of rocks clawing their inanimate ears out as the organic shriek-machines are pulling them all STRAIGHT down the End Times pit. Shit is flying, left, right, up, down, no one knows what the hell is happening, but on and on and ON, they keep wailing their song of mutual destruction!"

"What?"

Phantom blinked.

"What your minuscule brains are unable to comprehend, is that you are dealing with matters beyond your understanding. We could have separated on a good note, but no. Someone here actually thought that betraying my kin would do you any good. I won't point at anyone, but the main suspect is standing before me."

"Really, now?" Ozai was red from anger, but somehow the attack had not come yet. "You are the one violating..."

"Don't tell me that you haven't wanted to betray me since day one. I would take it as an insult of my intelligence. I spied on you, yes, and there are no secrets from me. This ghost can turn invisible and go through walls, pal. All this time I knew about how feeble is your reliability. Shame on you."

"And what are you going to do now, boy? Kill me? You are overestimating your power."

"Coming from your mouth it sounds hilarious. Har-har," Phantom smiled innocently.

The princess clearly realized that the confrontation and the fight were inevitable. She had to stop them, because no matter how she respected her father's power, the Ghost king was out of his league from all the seems. It could end in either Ozai's or mutual destruction, certainly not the other way around. The crown was an artifact too powerful to overcome. Yet, she did not want to bring more anger at herself. Thankfully, Phantom did not give her any meaningful looks.

"Well?" Phantom raised his eyebrow. "You have broken the biggest moral barrier I used to have, so just give it the best you can."

The Fire Lord didn't need to be told twice.

An enormous whirlwind of fire blew half across the room, burning everything on its wake. Everything but the target. The torrent was gone, Phantom was just standing there in the midst of the blazing carpet, calmly dusting his armor. The shield had done its job well. He looked at Ozai with boredom and yawned. The hair flowed and the crown flickered much less enthusiastically, obviously reflecting his emotions.

"Is that it? Look, I told you to throw your best. You aren't even trying."

Fire blazed once again in the hands of Ozai, his eyes were just as fierce as the flames in his palms. With a roar he jumped forward, launching more torrents forward. Without many movements he avoided each gust, yet not attacking himself, and many people realized that the Ghost King was simply playing with him, as if the toy in his hand had got its own consciousness and the feeling of self-importance . And as he could just put it on the shelf, he could as well tear a hand or leave a rip on it. Everything depended on the mood of the owner, his prudence. Then the Ghost King got bored from the whole game.

He raised his hand and the whole fire show was over. Ozai was held in the air, choking on the force holding him.

"What's wrong? Fire does not burn without oxygen, right?" Danny deadpanned.

He then tossed him into the column, before letting go. The body of the Fire Lord slipped down, before he got up on his feet.

"Shall we proceed with our lesson?" Asked Phantom. "Or are you never going to learn your place?"

Ozai attempted to throw more fire, but his hand got stuck in the air, in the middle of the motion.

"Hello, ant, I am the boot," the half ghost mocked, crossing his hands. "You cannot defeat the one who can snap your ribcage with a simple thought!"

"Stop it!"

Phantom blinked, stopping his interactions with the Fire Lord. He removed his hand and Ozai fell down on the ground, panting hard. He looked at Azula, surprised at seeing her so...desperate.

"Stop this right now!" The princess demanded.

"Stop?" Danny raised his eyebrow. "Stop what? I'm in the middle of smashing the insect who thinks too much of itself. Sit!"

Ozai was pinned to the ground by the same force.

"You do not kill. This is not you."

"Really now?" His eyes gained a bright glow. "Tell this to all the people I've murdered in that storm! Thank your father, he forced me. He has done something you were unable to do. And now he is about to learn exactly what kind of dam he has broken. Yes, it is not me talking to you, it is someone who is very angry and, in addition, has the power to wipe out this entire island. It is me whom this bastard has decided to betray. Now I'll see if he would be just as degenerate to actually try something else. SIT, I SAID!" Phantom roared.

Ozai screamed in pain and fell, for his legs were now broken. The fire hit the column and set the loosely hanging wooden ornaments on fire. The loud crack was heard by everyone present. Fear now held everyone stuck in one place. He fell on the ground, unable to get up. Azula watched this, and Phantom was once again surprised at seeing her genuine fear. The fear which so easily overweighted the anger within her.

"You are afraid," he said, like a child seeing the snow for the first time in his life. "You are actually afraid. Like I suspected, you do care for this little rat. Pitiful, really, you really deserve better. But," Phantom huffed lightly. "No one has such luxury, even I, even now."

"Release him. Release him and leave...Please."

Danny looked straight into her golden eyes, his emotions were unreadable even to her. Phantom, however, could see the desperation yet unseen. She knew her helplessness. If he decided to kill her, Azula would be unable to stop him in any way. And yet, she decided to lower herself to...begging? No, he would not allow the princess to lower herself to this. Danny sighed.

"Do not expect health insurance," Phantom looked at the Fire Lord, who was currently twitching in agony. Danny then gazed at the princess, before giving a weak smile. "Since you asked so nicely...and for the sake of...whatever it has been between us...fine. Your father will live. For now. Try to stop him from doing something he will come to regret later."

Then he vanished in a blink. He left everyone present to their own things, and only the screams of the pained monarch could be heard in the dead silence of the aftermath. Ozai was humiliated beyond any measure, his pride was wounded beyond any repair the second he was used as a mopping cloth. Not to mention the loss of his legs, albeit timely. There were also some other broken bones that needed to be tended. The Fire Lord was lifted by his subordinates. The man glared daggers at the only person in this room.

"You..." he growled. "This is all your fault!"

"My fault?" Azula whispered. "What HAVE I done? Saved your life as of right now? Everything was fine until YOU started bombing him!"

Everyone gasped. Did she just...talk back to the Fire Lord? Never before had she done that, and to do it now of all times...It was too foolish or brave. Only one person had done so before, and heavens are the witness, he did not end well. Ozai looked at his daughter, seeping with worthless anger, as he was now unable to even move his hand without any pain.

"Get out," he spat. "By the sunset I don't want to see you on this island. You are banished, and I don't want to see any of my traitorous children."

Like a thunder amidst the sunny day that sentence rammed with the noise of nuclear explosion. It happened so quickly and Azula wanted to believe that she had misheard. But no, the look of her father, the shock of the audience, everything spoke of only one phrase, confirming that every word full of anger was a complete truth. Something clicked within the princess, her hands shook, but she clenched her fists to calm herself down. Azula went out of the room, the boiling cauldron of emotions threatened to explode at any second. The princess hadn't noticed how she got to her room, sat on her bed. The bland wall was suddenly the most magnetic thing in the entire palace.

It was hard to say what exactly she was feeling. A numerous combination of many colors of emotions — they either left the blankest of white sheets and she felt simply nothing, or the torrent of paint was so strong and limitless that as the result there was nothing to feel at all. A human mind could not process every single one of them in such a short span of time, so the only retreat of that seemingly complicated machine was to go numb, senseless, so as to protect itself from the reality ramming its way through the strong cranium wall. And who knew what would happen when the barrier was destroyed and lied in shambles. For now, all she could do was...cry. Quiet sobs filled the room, and only then a voice broke the silence.

"Are you...crying?" Danny asked in shock, barely above the whisper.

Azula looked up from her knees, and her eyes almost glowed. From anger.

"It's all because of you," she spat with hatred seeping from her mouth.

"Me?" Phantom asked, approaching her. He was no longer wearing armor, with his jumpsuit on, and the crown was absent from his head. Only the ring still reminded of who was now standing near her.

"If I just did what I should, I would have not been humiliated in front of everyone."

"If you killed me?" Danny raised an eyebrow, sitting in the air in front of her, Azula's bloodshot eyes were looking at him. "Azula. You wouldn't have been able to. You saw what I just did. Your father is the only one who was humiliated there."

"And because of that I am now an outcast."

Phantom sighed. "You are not, princess. It's only that fool who thinks so. But if you want to take revenge, go ahead," he opened his arms wide. "Shoot me, I will not do anything."

He just stood in front of her. The symbol on his chest was like a huge target where to aim. Azula wordlessly stared at him, contemplating on whether or not he really meant what he said. Did she want to blast him into oblivion? For all the ruin he had caused the second he had rammed into her life, bringing chaos and destruction on his wake? And for a second a gust of flame appeared in Azula's hand. But just as soon it vanished, the princess looked away again. Why can't she? That was the question her mind was trying to solve and was failing in. Rationality in the current predicament was lagging behind the pace of this strange conversation. So, the princess just remained silent.

Seeing that no strike was to come, Danny smiled softly.

"I trusted you and you did not shoot," he said, sitting next to Azula. "Why?"

"I don't know. I don't want to bother with you anymore, maybe."

"The princess I met would have done so in a blink."

"What do you mean?"

Danny kept smiling. "You may not think so, but I can only hope that it was not because of what you just said."

"Think whatever you want. But get out, you got what you wanted, now get lost!"

"And then? Azula, you have no place to go to. What a banishment will be if your country now rules the world? Only the North and South Poles remain, but do you really think that they would be welcoming?"

"It is not my decision, and certainly is not my fault."

"You are mistaken, princess. It is your fault, and this fault is doing the right thing."

"Right thing? Oh, let's see now what it implies. That implies losing our entire air fleet because of your tantrum, it involves me getting over here a man who almost killed my father, do I need to continue? You've ruined my life," she mumbled. "I hate you."

Danny's look told more than any words. The silence lasted for a while, as he tried to find what to say to such remark of hers.

"I was put into this condition, Azula. They attacked me and you know it. You think I am happy about this? Just for your sake I am not curling in the corner, knowing I have just murdered so many people! And...the crown...its power is so...intoxicating. I felt like I didn't fully control myself at that moment. I...I felt like I could do everything now, because what I did back there, I didn't even sweat. I've taken it off now for that reason alone, I've seen what this power did to the one who used to possess it."

"Is this supposed to sound like an excuse? If so, you are terrible at this."

"I'm not apologizing. Your father deserved what came to him, give or take. But...I'm sorry for what happened to you. It is the first time I've seen you so sad. He really means the world to you, doesn't he?"

"How did you guess?" Azula asked sarcastically. "Because of you I have lost only one member of my family who cared about me at all? What else was there? Zuko? He was a stupid idiot, couldn't even stand up properly and because of that...he was afraid of me. To whom did he go? He always went to my mother, and she feared me just as much. I was just a monster to her eyes, remember?"

Azula briefly looked up at the mirror. Before her was not a princess, but a messed up teenage girl, so mentally scarred and worthless looking that it caused only pity. Ruined hair going everywhere, eyes red from the crying...And for a split second in the reflection Azula saw her mother. Instantly she turned away, so as not to be plagued by what couldn't even be considered a ghost. It was a mere hallucination, but how was it supposed to feel better this way?

Danny sighed. "You really think so, Azula? Now when we are at this point, try to remember, what gave these two a reason to think this way?"

"I was too powerful for them, they feared me because of it."

"We both know it is not the entire truth, princess. Try to dig deeper, what is there to be afraid of, really?"

The princess was silent, she just blankly stared at the wall, while the half ghost could only watch the outside of that internecine conflict within her. Yet, Azula preferred to let bygones be bygones. Or at least she thought of them this way.

"What's even the point?" She asked. "Mother is dead, Zuko is with the Avatar now. Or do you expect me to actually like him?"

"We are not talking about them, princess. You are my friend and I care for YOU. Trust me, I know what you feel, my own mother held me at the gunpoint at more than one occasion. In that situation you needed someone who would show you at least some for of attention. But Ozai cared only about your power, you have seen it now. Now when he has no use of you he has just tossed you out like garbage, because he no longer needed you. He now rules the world, and such menial things do not bother him," he finished sarcastically.

"Get to the point already, or are you going to keep me here for an eternity?"

"You don't want to share your past, I get it," Danny sighed. "I just want to help you see that your father is nothing but a sack of shit. Without his power, when he is helpless against the force so much stronger, what is left there? A worthless ball of anger and arrogance. Admit it, he looked pathetic back there. And you just happened to be close. Azula," Phantom leaned closer. "I am just worried for you. If that is your life example, then all will be lost in the future. Only let me help you."

"You have already helped. Look where we are now."

"You refuse to listen," Danny ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. "Although, I cannot say it is much different from me. I know the feeling of the world crashing around you. And did I actually listen to anyone back then?" He chuckled sadly. "There was a man who offered me everything. Who wanted to take me in...but you know what? When I first saw your father, I instantly knew who this bastard is. Because I have seen his kind before."

"Why didn't you agree with that man?" Asked Azula all of a sudden.

"It's a long story, but I just knew who he was, what vile things he did and that he wanted my power, not me. He...did everything he could just to show it," Danny whispered. "Between all the things that could happen to me, I would rather be stuffed again in that lab with white walls and let those inhumane monsters do their worst...rather than stay with Vlad for a single day. But you know what differs you and me?" Phantom suddenly smiled, receiving a questioning look.

"There is actually one person near who can help in your case."

Azula snorted. "And that's you, I take it," she said without enthusiasm.

"Yes. Azula, I don't ask you to forgive me for what I did, I myself will torture myself for that...But at least let me help you," his eyes glowed brighter. "I'll give you whatever you need. You can stay at my home as long as you like and I won't ask for anything from you. This world is unwelcoming to you wherever you come. If you only say yes...then I'll make at least physical problems go away."

"And the others?"

"You mean Ty Lee and Mai? You know you can't stay with them. But if you want, my men will watch over them in case Ozai goes completely nuts."

Azula nodded. "Yes...I want it."

Danny couldn't help but brighten. Some people would prefer to burn all the bridges, yet the princess was now unwilling to leave her friends just like that. Maybe there was some hope for this poor and unfortunate girl. Now she was nothing but that. And it was his job to help the people. For quite a while that feeling of fulfillment hadn't visited him, ever since he abandoned his work as a vigilante. Back in the day, albeit the people were ungrateful, feared him...he still saved them, because that was the sole reason he was bound to the mortal plane forever. Now again recovering that feeling to its mass, he felt better than ever.

"Then let's not waste any time...unless...you want to say goodbye to them?" Phantom asked.

"I'll...take my things first. Just one question. Will I be able to return here?"

Danny shrugged. "I told you, stay as long as you like. You can return, but I strongly advise to rest for a while."

Azula nodded. So that's how it's going to be like now. For everything he had done...the princess couldn't bring herself to hate him. Because he was right. What was going with her? The princess took a deep, shaky breath. Danny noticed her discomfort. Blinking, he suddenly put a hand on her forehead. Huh, it felt like a weak fever. Probably the stress was showing on her health. No matter, he guessed, he would send after the most skillful healers if it escalated. Azula slapped his hand lightly and got up.

"Need help with the luggage?" Danny offered.

The princess smirked. "Kind of you to suggest," she said.


	18. Chapter XVIII: Loose ends

"Look, I don't care whether they will agree or not," Danny said to Fright Knight. "I've tried and that's enough."

"So you did not even want that meeting?" The right hand ghost asked in surprise.

Phantom leaned back on his throne. "Of course not. It is just to show the will to cooperate," he made a tired groan. "Putting this mess in place is hellishly tedious."

The knight chuckled. "Every king on my memory said this very phrase. My Liege, I wanted to inquire about our...guest."

"I told you, Fright, she is staying. It's not like she is of any bother. Azula has been staying in her room all this time."

"Depression, I dare to assume?"

"And you are right. I don't blame her, the last weeks have been tough to her. So what's the problem?" Danny crossed his legs.

"You basically hold the heiress of the other world here. Aren't you going to utilize this opportunity?"

"She is not a tool, Fright. And I am a mere generous host," Phantom got up and fixed the collar of his costume. "Now, if that is all for now..."

"In actuality, sire...I also was willing to ask about your condition."

"What condition?" Danny raised an eyebrow, putting the hands behind his back.

"The crown, My Lord. In all the meetings you have worn the illusional replica. Why do you concern yourself over this?"

"I killed those people, damn it. I'm managing. By blaming the crown. Its power. It's untamed, wild. I've read the books within Ghostwriter's library. Too few kings before did not utilize the power. And the coincidence is...all the mentioned do-gooders were killed by the other candidates. The rest went mad, and there is now the known source."

"I haven't felt anything in the short while I've worn it," Fright pondered aloud.

"The crown is sentient. It ignored you because...well, you had no claim on it, no offense. That age restriction...it was clearly a ruse. For reasons unknown to me yet, I'm doing the research. Maybe the crown was just desperate for an owner. I need the crown for only one more thing. Then I will put it deep away. Go on with our plan."

Fright nodded. Chuckling, Danny passed the knight and went downstairs and then out of the throne room. The castle had been completely rebuilt, and thus the pretty corridors lined his way. Black and silvery were the prevalent colors. He had come to like those. Taking a deep breath he did not need, for he was in the ghost form now all the time, Phantom passed several windows. He was having the time of his afterlife. Yes, he now had a job, with the biggest wage one might add. But now there was no fighting in the wars, at least now, no concern of human nature...well, maybe except the well being of the one person he was giving residence to.

But come to think of that...yes, Azula would have learned the value of lesser beings by becoming one, possibly. But, one, he wasn't that cruel, and two, it could have the opposite effect. Where was Jazz when he needed her the most? Well, there is one person with a psychological degree, but she would just make Azula even more miserable. Suddenly Danny realized that it was the lunch time. Albeit he was in the Ghost Zone, feeding on the ectoplasm in the air, he still preferred the conventional way of filling his tank. An idea occurred to him, so the king changed directions. As the place obeyed his will, by turning around the corner he entered the corridor which was in the other end of the castle. Remembering his past experience, Phantom knocked on the door first. Hearing a quiet response from within the room, he entered it.

Danny really tried to arrange the room as if it was not the totally different world. Yes, by looking like her room back at home, it was Azula's wish to keep the place this way, despite the memories it brought. Because now matter what, out of the window was the same green and black abyss. A very glaring reminder. Azula was lying on the huge bed, staring at the ceiling. Her hair was loose and utter mess. Her golden eyes briefly turned in his direction, before again counting the tiles on the ceiling.

"You look like a toucan puffin," she mumbled.

Danny looked at his black costume, contrasting his usual jumpsuit. There was a white shirt beneath. So yeah, he did look like a toucan puffin.

"And you look like shit," Phantom responded and snorted. "I think you should come out from the room for once," he continued, looking at the tray with empty plates and silverware.

"Why? I'm fine here. The books you bring are boring, however."

Danny approached her and sat on the edge of the bed. He picked up the tome and examined.

"I mean," Azula got into the sitting position, "Why would I read about some delusional knight?"

"There is more to this than that," Phantom chuckled. "There are also other means of entertainment, but someone prefers to stay here. Tell you what, let's go out. I'll show you around, there is more to that than a dead wasteland."

"I am in no mood for talking with the dead..." she caught Danny's deadpan look. "Oh, shut it."

"I'm being quiet," Phantom laughed, before being kicked off the bed. "Okay, I deserved it. Still...let's go."

Azula sighed. "Fine. Otherwise I'll die from boredom."

"Yeah...and better change clothes. And wash yourself, you stink."

Chuckling, Danny got up and went to the exit. "I'll wait for you at the entrance in three hours."

Azula did go to wash herself. How the mighty have fallen, she had to do it herself. And damn it, that washing mumbo jumbo was too complicated. Welcome to the future, now the streams of water were coming out by themselves shall she turn the switch. The hot water was relaxing. Upon exiting the bathroom, conjoined with her bedroom, Azula saw a set of clothes on her bed. They were unlike anything she had seen before. There was a long sleeved red shirt, black leather pants, there were even the boots near the edge of the bed. Snorting at the king's choice, the princess proceeded to put on the clothes. They were surprisingly comfortable. After taking the shirt Azula suddenly noticed a small box buried beneath. Curious, she opened it. There was a golden necklace made in shape of the Fire Nation symbol. Huh.

Meanwhile Danny stepped through the portal and looked around. It was but an empty alleyway, and on the outside the streetlights were really bright. It was the evening, yet the place outside was lively. He took a deep breath of the late autumn wind, fixing his beloved black hoodie. He was in his human form, walking down the street so familiar to him. After all, it was his hometown, so many memories, both wonderful and terrifying ones. Why was he here? Simple, to cut the loose ends. Once these issues were solved, he could dedicate himself to his new home completely. He had a plan of action, and for that he went to the bar, knowing full well that he didn't need to search for what he needed. All that would come by itself.

Meanwhile, within the underground compound located in this exact city, one signal beeped, resonating off the white walls. The entire room fell silent, for such signal could only mean one thing. Every worker, each wearing a white suit, looked up from their rowed computers and at the man in charge of the unit, who just happened to be present there at the moment, with a cup of coffee in his hand. He was a bald dark skinned man, wearing the same suit just like others. He, just like everyone stared at the main screen.

"J, what the hell is this?" Agent O asked in anger.

"Phantom has returned...sir," the other agent responded. "But...that's ridiculous! We finished him off when he tried to escape!"

"Then he lived through this. Call our entire garrison here, we have to finish off that slime and make sure he doesn't come back again. Who knows what atrocities he is doing out there."

Danny put down another shot of god knows what on the table. The barman looked at him in confusion while wiping the glass.

"Jesus Christ kid, that's the tenth already. Chill out."

"I'm chill," Danny shrugged, not showing any signs of being drunk. "And I pay you twice as much not to ask questions about my age. Now, what the hell did you give me?"

"A secret mixture that contains one or more of the following: Kerosene, Propylene Glycol, Artificial Sweeteners, Sulfuric Acid, Rum, Acetone, Battery Acid, red dye#2, SCUMM, Axle grease and pepperoni."

Danny stared at him. "And you just gave this stuff to me?"

"Hey, the payer asks the music, you asked for the strongest one."

"Fair enough..."

"Well, I'll be damned."

Danny froze, before sighing and turning around on his seat. He was greeted by the sight of his biggest nuisance in his entire lifetime, discarding Box Ghost. The nuisance was wearing the same red jacket, albeit he should have graduated by now. Oh, well, maybe he stayed for another extra year and was still a quarterback. The blonde jock instantly sat nearby and nudged Danny lightly, just like in good old times. Only back then his arm was broken once.

"What do you want, Dash?" Phantom grumbled.

"Not even a hello, Fentina?" Dash laughed. "Didn't expect to see you here of all places. Especially after you vanished for good."

"Not to offend...actually, I don't care. You are the last person I would like to be with right now."

"I get it. Still sore about what happened...look. I just wanted to come and say sorry."

Danny choked on his drink. He stared at the blond, his ice blue eyes wide. "You? Sorry?"

"People grow up, Fentoad. But...after what happened when your entire family was dead...back then I actually swore that I won't bully you after all that. At least for a long while. And everyone thought you died."

"What a gent," Danny mumbled. "I do appreciate it, Dash. But I won't be buddy-buddy with you because of that."

"I don't need that. I just apologized."

"Good."

"But honestly, what did you do...and why do I find you here of all places?"

"This stuff tastes nice. And I am waiting here for someone. And because you apologized so nicely, I would ask you to leave before it gets very dangerous."

It was somewhat poetical. The fate itself arranged everything nice and tight, so as he could to arrange everything, to meet with any reminder of his past life. It also gave him some food for contemplation. Dash of all people seemed to have something in him even despite everything he had done. It gave Danny the thought that any person could change in a good way. It gave him hope for both himself and his friend.

"What do you..."

At that moment Danny's eyes glowed just long enough for the blonde to see.

"Now leave, Dash. Those guys will not take kindly to any other person getting in their way."

On the outside a huge number of white vans was seen, albeit not from the inside of the bar. But Danny heard them, even through the noise of the music systems. Furthermore, he heard helicopters. His keen senses immediately picked on the ectoplasm inside the guns the newest arrivals possessed. Phantom then noticed that the place was overcrowded. And the guests outside never cared for collateral damage. He flicked his hand while taking a sip of mojito he had ordered as well. The fire alarm went off.

Needless to say that the attackers were surprised at seeing the wave of people pouring out of the bar. And they in turn were terrified of the entire army piled up in this part of the street. One of the men barked an order for the civilians to get lost. They didn't need to be told twice. Following the next order one of the huge vans pointed a damn gun at the entrance. With a loud noise the entire wall was reduced to rubble. The detachment went inside. The dust was then gone, revealing what was hidden behind. From both sides. And while the king saw the squadron of white-wearing thugs, the attackers saw Phantom, who was sitting with his legs on the table. He was still sipping the drink in his hands, not sparing a glance at them.

"You shouldn't have knocked this hard," he commented calmly.

"Phantom! For all your crimes, your miserable existence shall be ended right here and now," Agent O shouted.

"Oh, so you are the judges now?" Phantom laughed, before getting up. "Mojito?" He offered, shaking the glass.

The GIW agents stared at him. Yes, the boy had been snarky before, but...by the end of their procedures he hadn't uttered a word, too damaged to even mimic a tiniest bit of human sentience. He seemed more than capable, and even the agents sensed something behind his confident exterior.

"Ah, Gits in White. In the flesh. You bastards have a long overdue debt."

"Ha, we would like to see you try, kid," Agent O laughed, taking out a pistol. "Our equipment has been modified several times. While you couldn't even handle our last toys."

"You morons caught me while I was unconscious," Danny rolled his eyes, tossing the glass away.

"Shouldn't have blown the entire household with yourself still inside. Possessing a corpse of the youngest Fenton. How noble."

"The corpse you so kindly tore apart," Danny mumbled. They didn't even realize the real state of affairs. "Now, get to the point already," Phantom's eyes glowed green as he stood in the middle of the room. "The first to shoot dies first."

"You wouldn't dare. You are a worthless do-gooder," O laughed.

Danny snapped his fingers. The gun in the agent's hands exploded, launching the man flying backwards with a yell of pain.

"It must have burned," Phantom commented. "Yes, I am a hero. However, as my new post dictates, I must wipe out all the threats to my new kingdom."

The agents were about to fire. He raised his fingers once more.

"You are carrying portable bombs," Danny grinned at seeing their reluctance.

"Is that all?" O got up, fixing the sunglasses over his eyes. "Flashy tricks?"

"Oh, I'm yet to begin twisting you all beyond any recognition. And why have you not shot yet?" Phantom smirked, making a step closer. His green eyes glowed even more ominously. "Alright, off with this procrastination. I only have two spare hours left. Well, then..."

He clapped his hands, before a monstrous explosion of the entire weaponry launched the first lines of soldiers around. From the smoke and the emerald flames Phantom emerged now in his ghost form, armed and crowned for this final endeavor in the human world. His palms, protected by the same black, clawed gauntlets, glowed with the green ectoplasmic energy, literally highlighting the upcoming demise.

"Let's get started."

Azula could not be called a patient person. That much was obvious to anyone around, and albeit she was able to wait out, expecting the opportunity to arise, in the predicaments like this she could only stomp on the ground impatiently. That place was pressing on her. She might have gotten used to the twisted sky, to the air, so heavy for the human nostrils and lungs. But she also felt the strange emptiness inside that nothing could fill. Because even if the servants were always there, ready to tend to her every whim, each time she looked at their green, blue, skeletal bodies, it was only a reminder of what this place was not. It got her thinking, however. Because Zuko also went through this, hadn't he? What had he felt? The princess never actually paid any attention to this. To her eyes he was a weakling, the one who deserved the punishment. To her mind he had simply cried while sitting in the corner of his stinking ship.

Oh, the irony, the most persistent follower of the people fallen. Always walking side by side, never shutting up about what got its companion there in the first place. One would consider this stalker to be a nuisance, and to some degree they would be right. But what also escapes the people, is that this nagging feeling gnawing at your heart is also a valid teacher. Take this instance, for example. The princess was now experiencing exactly what her brother had gone through. At least Zuko had had Iroh by his side, and what did she have? Danny was the only logical option. Both youngest members of the royal family were exiled, accompanied by two most unusual people the princess had ever seen. For as long as they knew each other, Danny always tried to teach her something. At first unwillingly, through the brief conversations, but now he was more willing to help her out. Phantom seemed to have found his way in the afterlife. Now he tried to help the princess find hers.

But no one actually bothered to ask if SHE wanted it to be this way. If she even wanted to change her way in life. But when the usual road on your routine way is broken, under repairs, you take another turn you have never chosen before. That's how things worked under normal circumstances. Azula was wondering how to go about this problem. The idea of reconciliation with her father was having a fight on the battlefield that was her mind. The fight was with another thought. Her pride demanded something else entirely. Azula realized how little she actually matter to the Fire Lord, for she was not stupid and could put two and two together. And to return to him, like a dirty beggar? She would not lower herself to this, she had begged only once, and Danny actually listened. Ozai would have just laughed.

All of what's happened...it made her rethink many things in her life. Not what she did, but for whom all these atrocities had been committed. So much effort, the entirety of her life had been spent on satisfying that fool's greed. And now Zuko's punishment looked different to her. What happened there? The prince spoke up against the will of a general, not the most bright one as Azula came to notice. The unwillingness to sacrifice one division to conquer the region on Zuko's part, and the princess still thought about it this way. But on the other hand...Zuko had the guts to do that before everyone...she never actually thought about this that way. It was always more of a foolishness than anything to her mind. Yet, Ozai took it as an offense to him. That moron actually wanted to duel over a couple of words, because the heir to the throne spoke his opinion. He had the full right, just like she did.

Putting aside Agni Kai itself, that act of the Fire Lord should have rung the first bell. It indicated just how disposable his children were to the Fire Lord. Yes, Zuko was weak, and he had nothing to do near with the throne, but...now what had happened seemed to Azula as going overboard. Even she had done something bigger than that. And, the princess did feel some sort of satisfaction when Phantom beat the living crap out of him so effortlessly. The Fire Lord would be at least partially crippled before the arrival of Sozin's comet. That fool was helpless if someone tried to usurp the throne.

At this thought her little mind train came to an abrupt stop. The princess simply stared at the fireplace, in the middle of the living room. It was a nicely built place, with dark wood, several chandeliers. The fireplace covered the room in a warm light. The princess sat on the main chair, with her legs on the table. Her small silence was interrupted by the intrusion from behind. The princess peeked around and saw that it was Fright Knight.

"Hello there," Azula called without enthusiasm. "Are you here to watch over me?"

"More pressing things are at hand. As we are talking, His Majesty is preoccupied."

"What is he doing?" The princess pressed.

"Cutting loose ends, as he wished to put it," Fright said briefly, approaching her. "I am unaware of his exact whereabouts."

"And what do these words even imply?"

"That is what I wished to ask you. Phantom I used to know was different."

"Different how?" Azula's interest was peaked.

"He was what you would expect a lad of his age to be. Impulsive, careless hero wannabe. I was freed by his own foolish intentions of winning some ludicrous argument. In the brief encounters with each other we used to only clash, but I did notice something lying in between. He always was different from the other ghosts, and it wasn't just his human part's presence. By looking at Plasmius, I see that the reason is not just being human. I have never been one, and thus am not able to come to any reasonable conclusion."

"But...you are a ghost."

"Spirits are their own beings, they are here longer than us. But we surpass them in numbers. What makes me different, is that I am not a stray soul. This world is more than just an illogical plane of reality. It manifests in everything, and everything can make it manifest. Humans have always lived in fear: of lighting, of the fire that gave them warmth, of the rabid animals out for their blood. When humanity entered the Dark Ages, their mindset was becoming different. Their jumbled thoughts, feelings, beliefs in the myths...And then I was given material form. And I knew my purpose."

"To...spread fear?"

"Amongst other things...yes. There were possibly other duties...but I have long since forgotten. Fear is the strongest emotion of all, and that's why only it remained. Each ghost clings to what makes them like this. Spirits are...pure in this sense, they aren't burdened by anything. And Phantom...he doesn't do that. He doesn't seem to be obsessed with anything. Plasmius let his ghostly part overtake, his lust for power turned into obsession, and now he is barely a human. Before everything what happened to the lad, everyone thought that he was obsessed with protecting his family. Out of respect for the only thing we all honor, no harm was done to them. Ever."

"But what changed?" Azula raised an eyebrow.

Fright tapped on the hilt of his sword. "His family died."

"I know that already. What actually happened?"

"No one but him knows the details. But we know the outcome. The entire house was blown up, and the gateway to the human world was gone as well. Then Phantom was gone from the face of the Earth. Many wondered what would be of halfa if one was to die. There were three options: he would go to Heaven or Hell, like a human, into oblivion, like a ghost, or...he would become a full ghost. Everyone assumed the worst. Now, seeing as he is not a full ghost...there is even more confusion among the people."

"You think he is a ghost without an obsession now?"

"That's an only explanation. Unless we all were mistaken about his real desires."

Phantom wiped his mouth from the droplets of ectoplasm dripping out. He was walking around the large room within a mansion on the outskirts of Amity Park. The office was halfway ruined, pieces of metal that had used to be turrets were scattered around. Danny smirked, turning human again. The defenses obviously worked as intended, but all they got in total...was a couple of small droplets. Chuckling under his nose, the half ghost picked up the piece of regalia, signed by the captain of the Green Bay Packers. The glass case had been broken amidst the fight.

"I suggest you put that down," a threatening voice was heard behind.

Phantom grinned under his hood. He slowly turned around and grinned. "Hello, Fruitloop," his eyes flashed green.

Before him stood a man wearing only his dark blue pajamas. He had gray hair, tied in a low ponytail, dark blue eyes, now wide open in shock. Firm features of his sleazy face were now stuck in their place.

"D-Daniel? Wh-what, how?" Vlad kept asking.

"Not even a hello?" Danny asked, taking the man's seat at the desk. "Where are your manners?"

"I would ask you the same question. What are you doing here, crushing everything around?!"

"I knew that once your precious collection is attacked you would come here at the second's notice."

"Why did you want to see me? There are better ways of gaining an audience."

"You think I would ask for talking with you?" Danny seemed genuinely amused and surprised. He put the can down and clapped his hands. "You are obviously out of touch with the world. See this? I think you recognize it."

Vlad looked at the palm of the sudden visitor, before his eyes were ready to fall out. The ring. That could mean only one thing.

"Daniel..."

"Oh, yes, Vladdie," Danny grinned widely, before getting up. "I am now in charge of this train."

"What do you want? Oh, I get it, you want to get rid of any competition," Vlad smiled. "I'm proud of you, son."

"DON'T," Phantom's eyes glowed. "DON'T. YOU. DARE. I don't care what you want to do. I'm not here because I see you as a threat. While you certainly are. No, I just want to know something."

"Know what?"

"Simple. I've had a long time to contemplate on the options," Danny whispered and shrugged. "Remember that day, Vlad? That day when everything came crashing down?"

"I do, Daniel," the older man sighed and stepped aside, before reaching inside the counter and taking a bottle of wine. "It haunts me just as much. The death of Jack I could handle. But Maddie's and...yours...it was too much."

"You lie," Danny responded without a single sign of contemplation.

"Do I?" Vlad took a sip of wine. "Why wouldn't I, little badger? As much as I resented Jack...have I ever wanted your death? Why do you think not a single ghost has attacked in your absence? It was my doing, child. I," he put down the glass. "Am the one who honored your wishes to keep this rotten town safe."

Danny looked at him for a good minute, his eyes still glowing in the darkness of the room.

"Every day of my torture..." he started, looking at the floor, "Every second between the times a blade was struck in my chest...I could only think of that day. It haunted my nightmares, their faces...they were near me when in my pain I couldn't even utter a word to them," a small tear went to his eye, before vanishing, "Two words that I'm sorry. I always blamed myself, it was the prison even tighter than the small foul room I was confined to. But now I learned something," the sadness in his voice reduced, he found the firmness.

Phantom crossed his hands. "I've had a chat with the head of local department. And I think you know where we are going."

Vlad gulped.

"It was you."

The silence was more pressing than if the teen yelled at him. The verdict of the newest judge was solid, unforgiving and cold. Ice creeped up the windows, and Vlad could see his breath. Phantom only stared, his green eyes not blinking once. For once in his life Vlad was unsure what to do. For once his guard was lowered down, and Phantom picked just the moment. Plasmius stood no chance against the ghost empowered by the crown and the ring just like this. There was only one option left, but not like that, he needed an opening.

"You told them," venom dripped from Danny's voice. "You said that my father was possessed, knowing all well that the GIW don't care about the damage. They killed almost all of us...I was alive only because of my ghost half healing me. You had been a horrible man before. But I didn't fully realize just what you are."

"Daniel...let's not be hasty here..."

"Hasty?!" Phantom exclaimed, and then his eyes glowed red. "I had two years to think about it," a blade appeared in his hand. "And you are not getting away this time."


	19. Chapter XIX: No rest for the wicked

A.N. Oh, well. So, I had a lot of fun with this chapter. And the following ones are going to feel the same way to me, because I've been waiting for this route since the very beginning. And I cannot wait to bring this story to the sequel with Korra. Ah, sweet dreams.

Danny put down the crown on the pedestal. Its flames flickered, being just as untamed force of nature. It was as if it didn't want to let go, clutching Phantom's hands in its own fiery grip. The half ghost only gave it an empty look, before waving the tongues away. He turned around, eager to leave it in this dark room forever. As he had put it down, his conversation with the piece of regalia was over. Taking a ragged breath, Phantom shut the door, before it vanished at his whim. No door, no indication of the presence of the powerful artifact.

The ghost king strolled down the corridors of the dungeons, lit only by the dim green torches. He went upstairs, greeted by the upcoming light. Yes, he could use some more light downstairs, but why bother? He didn't want to come down anyway. And Danny hoped that he wouldn't have to come down again. The half ghost was going to his office, but thn in the middle of his way, he was interrupted by a voice.

"Going somewhere?"

Danny looked are and saw Azula standing near him. And she looked angry, with her hands crossed.

"Yes, to my office..."

"Congratulations," the princess spat. "What was that about a trip to show the world?"

"Oh, yes," Danny rubbed his forehead. "I'm so sorry."

"Sorry does not cover that you have said about two hours wait. You've been absent for a DAY, Phantom," Azula glared at him.

Phantom looked actually stunned by this revelation. "A...a day? God...it's worse than I have thought."

"What is it?" The princess uncrossed her hands.

"I...nevermind. It shouldn't be of any concern now," the look on Azula's face clearly stated that she was not satisfied with the answer. Of course she wasn't. "Look," Danny put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm...I'm really sorry for this. I had to do this and quick. I thought I would manage, but..." he hissed nervously. "You can say I got carried away. Revenge is the thing like that, and I had to make sure that those people would never harm anyone. And the only way to do that was..."

"To slaughter them? How could you?"

It was the goddamn crown, Danny told himself. It brought up every weakness of his just so it could exploit the situation and turn him into a vile murderer. He was stronger than it was. Phantom still held the might to resist the temptation of nearly boundless power in favor of retaining his morality. He took it off and now nothing could force him to put it back on. It was all a thing of the past from that moment forward.

"I know, it's against everything I stand for, I'm disgusted with myself..."

"How could you not bring me alone while you were having all this entertainment?"

Danny froze. His look couldn't quite show how he felt about what she had just said. Phantom just looked, avoiding Azula's angry gaze. But then she sighed.

"Not that I wanted to go out anyway, but it still insulting to be ditched like this, Phantom. Especially after you you started showing off as the only person who actually cares about what is going on."

"Azula...I do care, I'm giving you everything you want."

"Obviously not. You think that stuffing me inside this wretched box is going to fix everything? Surprise, Sherlock, it does not."

Danny looked at her strangely at her using the term she wasn't supposed to know. "Sherlock?"

"I looked into that black box," Azula crossed her hands.

Phantom chuckled softly, before looking into her golden eyes. "Again. I'm sorry, princess. I will try to make this up to you. I may not be able to guess what a fire-bending tough princess may want. I've never met anyone quite like you..." he smiled, "So, just tell me what you need and I will do it. Within reason, of course."

Azula seemed to contemplate the options. But Danny felt that something was off. A dreadful feeling rose in his stomach as he got a sudden feeling that her response was not going to be to his liking. And what do you know, the smile of hers didn't add to his confidence. Phantom raised his fingers, before snapping them. The two ended up in his bedroom: wide and empty for the lack of the things to furnish it with. Danny was in two minds about making it smaller.

"Why are we here?" Azula asked.

"Just to suffer," the king responded, before approaching the bed. "I have a feeling that what you want is better to be mentioned in private. AND I'd like to hit something soft when I faint."

"Show off," the princess huffed, before putting her hands on her hips. "Although...yes. There is something you can help me with..."

"Your own uncertainty doesn't bode well with mine."

"Fine, if you want me to drop it on you. Your own little adventure gave me an idea. An idea of revenge. On my father."

Danny stared at her blankly. Azula meanwhile was growing impatient at his inaction. Phantom's mind meanwhile was trying to return to its normal processes after the abrupt stop-signal. While he himself had enacted one such scheme not even two hours ago, and princess bluntly pointed out that she wanted to burn the bridges just like him, Danny was apprehensive by the prospect of going back to that world. But was the deal even in that?

"Why?" Phantom asked.

"What do you think?" Azula sat on the bed by him. "I was used as a toy and now my master has decided to toss me out like nothing. I never forgive. Especially the ones who have lied to me throughout my entire life. And he is going to pay for this."

"Wait, so broken body is not enough?" Danny raised his eyebrow.

"I'm not satisfied for two reasons: one, he is just going to capture some water-bending healer to fix him, two, he was screwed over by you. But I still require your assistance for my own plan. I want to pay him back for all the pain he has given to me during these two weeks."

"Meaning?"

"The pain I felt was not physical. It's all inside. That's why I want him to feel the same way. I will ruin him, I WILL MAKE HIM FEEL LIKE A WORTHLESS WORM!" Azula yelled, the sparks flew between her fingers. Danny did not like her expression, she clearly wasn't herself. Or, maybe, she was too much like herself, brushed with a mop of desperation.

"I already did so," Danny got up and looked at her. "Or do you think he felt something else? He was miserable, I could savor it. His shrieking made it even more obvious. Your father has lost his mind long ago, but he is able to hide it well."

"Exactly!" Azula exclaimed. "This is the only occasion in his entire life. And the only way to make him feel like this is to make him helpless, alone and insecure. Danny, we will overthrow him!"

Danny froze, not turning away even for the briefest of moments. "You...called me by name."

"So?" Azula huffed as if it was nothing, but then she gave him a surprisingly soft look. "I'm not asking for your army or your henchmen...I need only you, the rest is on me. I will not burden you at all," she smiled.

Phantom sighed and dropped on the soft mattress. "You just can't live and sit on one place, can you?" He moaned and rubbed his face with the gloved hand, "All these conflicts and destruction...have you not had enough? I brought you here, in the place where the war you lived with is nonexistent. I wanted you to see the world when there is no one willing to kill you every day, in hopes that you will find inner peace."

"Don't preach me like uncle," Azula mumbled, looking away. "It's not how things work. You think I'm going to change just because of what happened? Because of a couple of pep talks? I like the way I am."

"You already have," Danny smiled. "You don't need this, Azula. Revenge is an empty cause."

"Speaks the one who went on a murderous spree. I doubt that you had warm feelings for them, whoever they are."

"It's different, they posed an ever-present threat to my entire kingdom. I had no choice but to do just that. I had a history with them, yes, they tortured me, because of them I was on the run for so long. But do you see any satisfaction on my face? It is not just dissatisfaction with me going further and further from my line of morals. Their death did not give me any joy beyond the brief seconds of me ripping their hearts out. I wanted revenge, this is obvious, but...not much beyond that. If I didn't have this..." he pointed around himself. "What would I have done next? I have other purposes in my afterlife, a clear goal. Do you?"

Azula was silent for a while, finding the words to choose.

"Danny, I was manipulated all my life."

"To be honest, many people feel the same way about you."

"But I just won't be able to move on while that bastard is out there. I don't even want to kill him. I want to see him get what he deserves from me."

"And then?" Danny's look became cool, "You are in the line for the throne. Your brother has most likely joined the avatar. If he does not get rid of him and take Ozai's place, then it will be you. You said you will overthrow him. While I myself would love to see this...you should not go there. And I do not want to get involved once more."

"You said I can leave whenever I can," Azula whispered.

"The door is out there. Open it and you will end up on one of the Fire Nation islands," Danny snapped his fingers. "Your welcome may last for as long as you wish. But I never said anything about other kinds of assistance. Please, I'm trying to do what is best for you."

"You don't know that!" The princess exclaimed, getting up. "Only I know what is best for me."

"Really?" Phantom asked, getting up as well. "Then know that this door won't be opened again."

"What?"

"Plain and simple. I control all the entrances now. And you shall not enter again."

"H-how can you do this?"

"Simple. Because someone here obviously does not appreciate what I do. Then you probably don't need this at all. Go ahead," he made an inviting gesture towards the door.

Azula made several steps forward, the sense of betrayal once again rising in her stomach. So, even he was ready to just leave her alone in the world now? He, who was the only one to lend a hand of help to her when everything seemed to be against her? A minuscule tear appeared in the edge of her eye as she touched the brass doorknob. Her hand shook lightly, but she was unaware that Phantom was far from being apathetic to the situation he put her in. His own heart ached with each step she made towards the exit, both from the room, and probably his life. He wanted to stop her, say that everything was alright and that he did not mean it. But his inner voice stopped him. It was made for only one purpose and it had to be done. He heard the doorknob turn, not wanting to even look that way. But then he felt the bed shake a little.

"Happy now?" Azula mumbled. "Go ahead, praise me and tell me that I made the right choice..."

"I won't," Danny made a small smile, turning to face her. "I'll just say that I'll help you."

Her look showed immense shock. "Then what..."

"Can't you see? You just showed that power, revenge and the will to be superior no longer are the most important things to you."

"And this is a good thing?"

"Of course!" Danny shouted in excitement, a grin threatening to split his face. "Now I know that nothing will be lost to you once you get what you want."

"You idiot," Azula growled, obviously not liking that she was being fooled again.

Phantom shrugged. "I'm whatever you want me to be. So, you mentioned your plan? Mind sharing?"

Azula sighed and guessed that she could as well go somewhere with this. She got what she needed. "There are many steps, but there are few I need your assistance, as I said. First, I think we need to talk to the Fire sages."

"You mean...that religious guys who are in charge of whatever you believe in?"

"Yes, they are the only ones who have the right to renounce the Fire Lord, although this law was long since forgotten."

"And you know this because?"

"The ghost who brings me the books is very helpful."

"Ghostwriter, you sneaky little...alright. So, what do we need?"

"The ones who are currently in charge are too faithful to my father. No use of them. But there are also others. The Fire Sages who once served in Avatar Roku's temple. They were arrested shortly after the current avatar got there and escaped. One of them was incarcerated rightfully so, for actual treason. If we convince them...we might get the chance."

"Hm...a sound plan. You are good at this, I cannot deny. What is my part?"

"You are a very reliable way of escaping if something goes wrong. Besides, I cannot be accused of treason as well, it would ruin everything. So..."

"I'm there to take the blame, yeah. Nice," Danny grumbled. "Are you gonna change for this occasion or..."

"Give me five minutes."

The plan was set into motion ten minutes later, Phantom teleported them to the island, where that temple was located. The volcanic air immediately filled the teens' nostrils. Oh, yes, that's how the edge of the Fire Nation archipelago felt. The lasting first impression was guaranteed to every passerby. The dynamic duo went up the path slithering through the Crescent Island. There was very little to see, despite the island's somewhat poetic name. Only volcanic ash and its main smoking source. The glistening magma was like the veins on the long rotting corpse.

Phantom was wearing a new black suit with a white collar and pants, while the rest of his ghostly outfit remained pretty much the same. He saw no need in turning human for this occasion. It was more reliable, actually. The half-official clothing made him look delightfully devilish. The silvery cane was just to add to the appearance. Azula meanwhile was wearing her old Fire Nation robes.

"Once again two heroes set their feet on the sullen ground of..."

"Stop narrating already," Azula groaned. "Your voice is not helping."

"What's wrong with my voice?" Danny kept his narrator's tone. "I have also learned to do this," he changed his voice so it sounded like he was on the other end of the radio. "I don't have inner organs so I can make it sound however I like!" He then coughed and his voice went to normal. "But seriously, are you sure they are here? I mean, is it a house arrest? That's stupid, they never left the temple anyway!"

"They 'repented'," Azula made air quotes. "So the sentence was lightened for everyone except the traitor. I recall he is in the Boiling Rock now."

"Okay, first, how do you know all of this?" Danny asked.

"I am still the princess of the Fire Nation," Azula said as a matter of fact. "I tend to know a lot of things. And as for the plan of getting them out, it's pretty straightforward this time. But we should CONVINCE the Fire Sages. The signs of torture will be visible, and killing them is obviously not the way to go. So...you come into play."

"Me?"

"Simple," Azula said, "They worship the spirits our entire country does. Religious matters must come before their loyalty to my father, remind them about that."

"I'm the King of Ghosts, Azula. Spirits are not under my control."

"Yes," she grinned. "But they don't have to know that."

Then she pushed him behind the rock and stood there herself. She slowly peeked around.

"Alright, there are two guards at the entrance. Deal with them."

"Ah, just like good old times," Danny grinned, fixing the white collar of his suit. "You give orders and I ruin everything."

He stepped out and strolled towards the building. It was a five-tiered pagoda built atop a craggy hill. The edges of the roofs were red, while the inners were painted gold. Two guards instantly noticed the approaching teen, pointing their spears at him.

"Who are you and what are you doing here? The island is off limits."

"Really?" Danny's eyebrows shot up, before he looked around. "I don't see a sign anywhere. I just wanted to go on a pilgrimage! Oh, look, three headed monkey!"

The guards looked to where he was pointing, before Danny bashed their heads together, knocking them out. He then burst laughing non-stop.

"I...I cannot believe that actually worked!"

He then was patted on the shoulder, more to urge than to calm down.

"Come on, joker," Azula pushed him forward. "We have a job to do."

Danny wiped a tear and then made his head intangible and invisible, before phasing it through the door. After he did so, Phantom reassured her that the coast was clear. The two entered the massive hall, which was completely and utterly empty. There were many statues, and they were of many Fire Lords. The place obviously looked like it had gone through some repairs. The entire building had been destroyed, so...Danny hummed, putting both hands on the silver handle of the cane.

"If I were a Sun worshipping monk, where would I be at noon?" He asked a rhetorical question.

"Conducting rituals," finished Azula. "We need to go to the highest floor. They would need to be closer to the sun for all this stuff. Do you see any stairs?"

"I hear footsteps," Danny commented calmly. "Time to try a new trick."

"I think your experiments can wait. We don't need witnesses."

"Well...no. Fine, hold tight," Danny offered his hand.

The doors opened, before even more guards walked in, seeing nothing at all.

Phantom flew them up, through three more floors. Azula never liked the feeling of something passing right through her, or, in this case, her passing through something. The two passed many rooms, each obviously served some different purposes: barracks for soldiers (obviously the latest addition), the kitchen...a lot of stuff. The teens stepped on the ground of the top floor, there were no walls, just a ceiling. As the guests were still invisible, the sages did not notice them.

Danny couldn't resist a small snicker at seeing their pointy hats. They were like a damn chimney on their heads. The rest of their outfits were fine: the crimson robes, nothing special but the rubies on their chests. Although one of them had a gem on the stupid hat. There was a statue of Ozai, talk about being worshipped. The sun made of gold was on top, and with the help of golden elements on the supporting beams, the fake sun shone quite brightly. The thick smell of incense was present. The monks sat in meditation poses near the statue.

Phantom leaned towards the princess. "Will you do the talking, or..." he whispered.

"You should begin and make them sympathetic. Then I make an appearance. Put me behind that column, I'll wait there."

Danny nodded invisibly, before doing as she told him to. Phantom then stood in the middle of the room, before dropping invisibility and hitting the ground with the cane a couple of times. That didn't seem to bother the sages, as they kept meditating. Phantom's shoulders sank.

"Don't try to pretend," he said, "I would have known if you were in the Spirit world."

One of the sages got up and turned around. He had very strange mustache: they were long, yet they were shaven in the middle. The old man looked at the guest and was stunned at first. The glowing body and eyes gave Phantom away. The teen grinned toothily.

"Hello there, good sir."

"You..."

"While I am glad that this world knows the newest King of the Spirit world by face, it is quite rude to point fingers at people," Danny said dryly, putting a hand over his heart. "Hey, you there, stop pretending already. I can sense that this meditation is pointless."

The other sages got up, wearingly looking at the guest.

"What do you need here?" The main sage asked, gulping. "You and the Fire Lord..."

"Have a tense relationship after I blew up his toys and broke every brittle bone in his body. Yes. You see..."

Time to bring up all the knowledge he had picked up during his presence here.

"This whole ordeal made me wonder," Danny snapped his fingers, making chairs out of ectoenergy. A little push and everyone was now sitting at the conference table. "God, that smell..." in a move of his palm the air was clean of the incense, while their source was tossed out. "So, the point is simple. As I journeyed around to see the current state of affairs...I was utterly disappointed."

"Why?"

"The lack of spirituality. You of all people should understand this. The likes of the Fire Lord, they are like people who only utilize one of their hands. The other just...hangs there. I think your imprisonment has taught you a lesson on how little the Fire Lord cares about this things."

"And you care because..."

"Because I am in charge of my world for a reason," Danny shrugged. "I understand the value, for I was a human once. An insignificant speck on the face of the earth. Spirituality is what brought me here. I have realized my goal here. I must bring back the spiritual part to the world."

One of the sages snorted. "It's the Avatar's job."

"Really? So that's why it works out perfectly. If one from this side cannot figure everything out, then so will we. Killing the Fire Lord is not an issue, but...it will not solve all our problems. I see the opportunity in bringing the Fire Nation to the ways it once followed."

Danny got up, walking around the sages while saying all of this. He stopped near the guy in charge, taking a hold of his frail old shoulders. "Just imagine, the Fire Sages shall be restored to their full potential, leading the entire country, and now obviously the conquered world towards spiritual enlightenment," he whispered, but everyone heard it.

Azula watched behind the column and smirked. It was going perfect, she saw the gleam in the sages' eyes. The promises of untold power came from the one who possessed it, what was there not to be excited about? And to spite the one who put them in prison in the first place? She knew Danny was obviously sweetening everything, because they had as much spirituality as Zhao, they just went in a different way about it. A bunch of charlatans they were. Phantom learned well from her.

"While it sounds...interesting..." one of the sages said. "What do you need from us?"

"The rest of the sages are a lost cause. They are clinging to the Fire Lord, but he is just a false shepherd leading the entire world to damnation. We can change this. But the transition must not happen at the snap, no, it has to be gradual, so as to convince the people that it is not just some fanatical coup. That is why we have made an alliance..."

Phantom looked at where Azula was standing, before the princess walked around the column. The sages were astonished by this revelation that left them totally speechless. The princess smirked at their surprise, before coughing to get their attention.

"As my friend said," She began, "to assist in this transition I will be here."

"Princess Azula...are you serious? That would mean..."

"I want to see my father overthrown. His Majesty has shown me the path for our country that I'm willing to follow."

Danny was so going to tease her for this obviously faked admiration and dedication. But there was no other way. The only way to convince the sages was to play the card of the religious valor. Because they obviously weren't truly faithful, but seeing the princess who was even less so behave this way...it might work.

Phantom smiled. "Yes, precisely. That's the whole point. We need you, as the highest religious authority, to crown her the Fire Lord."

Silence settled in the room. Neither of the teens liked their hesitation.

"B-but what's the point?" The head sage asked. "You almost killed him already! And...as I heard it was nothing. His death would remove all needs for all of this."

"As was said," Azula interjected. "That's neither the point, nor the proper way of going about it. He shouldn't be killed off. At least not immediately. We need everything to be done officially. I've chosen you all because you can be entrusted, for my father has done horrible things to you."

The sages looked at each other, then at their head, who seemed to contemplate everything.

"But the coronations are made by the sages in the capital. We live on the outskirts!"

Danny grinned, whistling lightly to call attention. "Believe me, if you agree, your promotion will be the fastest in the entire Fire Nation history. You all will assume important positions. In exchange we want this, and that you surround yourself with equally faithful."

That offer was impossible to refuse. The head sage got up. "We agree to be of assistance to your righteous cause," he said with bravado.

"Splendid!" Danny exclaimed joyously, before a scroll appeared in his hand. He put the thing on the table, before moving it closer. "Let's just get rid of formalities. Leave your signature here, here and here, all of you."

Azula raised her eyebrow. "And something to write with?"

"Well, people used to sign these with their blood..." Danny left the sentences hanging just to see the faces. "But you can say that we are in the middle of the rebranding company. So," he showed them a red ball pen. "That should do."

When the last hieroglyph was left on the scroll, Phantom grinned broadly.

"Well, then, that will be the end of it," he chuckled. "I shall contact you when the time comes."

"Until then," Azula continued, "Return to what you are doing, and remember what you have promised in exchange."

With that the two vanished, only to reappear in the castle once again. The princess looked at her companion, who looked very satisfied with himself.

"What's the deal with this scroll? It's not even in our language."

"Exactly," Danny chuckled. "It's just a copy from Nasty Burger menu. This thing doesn't mean anything," he burst laughing. "But they, apparently, chose 'Double nasty surprise'."

Azula sighed, looking at her friend's childish act. Was she really hoping that that guy was going to help her in her plans? Well, he already did, that much was obvious. But there were many steps to take before finally striking. After certain preparations she would need to bring the enemies of her father together.

And what's the better way to do this than to break the biggest war prison around?


	20. Chapter XX: Entering the prison

"I cannot believe this."

"Zuko, you said it five times already," Katara complained.

Danny's assumption about the fate of the Fire Prince turned out to be correct to the letter. Zuko indeed had joined the avatar's team to save the entire world. But the general attitude of the group was very apprehensive about the idea, despite the fact that Aang himself was actually ready to forgive everything before, being his cheerful and kind self. Katara openly showed with all her being her resentment, but the prince was not complaining. Most of the time. He knew what was coming, they had to warm up to the idea.

They were currently staying at the Western Air Temple. The temple was notable in that, unlike the other four temples, it was situated underneath the edge of a cliff instead of atop a mountain. The spires seemed as though they were built upside-down, and because of that, the temple was hidden to the passerby.

"I mean," Zuko continued. "I would have never thought that father..."

"Pfft," Sokka huffed, trying to make a campfire with the stick. "Come on, he is an evil dictator. Why should he care about some...creepy...vile being your sister is?"

"But to outright banish? It's ridiculous!" Zuko got up and exclaimed. "She was the only heir, now what is he supposed to do? Although, I think he was really pissed off at her."

"Why?" Aang asked, sitting on Appa's furry tail.

The thing was that Zuko had learned about everything not so long ago while briefly venturing into the town for supplies, the rest of the gaang was oblivious to the recent changes in the high circles of the Fire Nation. And the prince knew that he was about to drop the bomb right now.

"Well, Phantom bashed father so many times that his whole body was broken."

Everyone sweat dropped at that statement, while Sokka's jaw hit the floor in almost comedic manner. He shot up in the standing position and approached Zuko.

"Wait, so you want to say...that your buddy just went in...and almost KILLED the ultimate bad guy of our entire journey? Why didn't he?!" He exclaimed in exasperation.

"I don't know," Zuko responded. "His motives never were clear to me," he suddenly realized that of everyone present he knew him the best.

"But I think I do know," Aang scratched his cheek, jumping to the group. "After all, didn't the Fire Lord betray him first? Katara, you said that the balloons bombed everyone, right? Maybe Phantom took it as a great offense. Enough to cause all of this destruction."

"Well," Sokka shrugged. "It's a good thing the bad guys fight."

"That does not remove the problem with the Ghost king. Aren't you worried, twinkle-toes?" Toph asked, looking at Aang.

"I...I don't know. This threat is...different," the boy sat on the ground. "A spiritual one. We've got used to the Fire Lord and his soldiers, but...I don't know what he will do in the Spirit world, I am helpless when I go there. And he is probably just as powerful in both places."

"Has he done anything there?" Katara asked.

Aang shook his head. "Well, I think I would have seen the war if it was there. Although, Roku said that the conflicts in there are fights between single extremely powerful beings, where the winner takes all. Roku also said that the king's heralds are walking across the lands. He is seeking allies among the spirits, while the ghosts are already totally subjugated."

"Let's not worry about this until the time comes. There is still one war we have to stop," Katara tried to ease the mood.

Everyone seemed content about this, returning to what they were doing. They weren't the only ones concerned about the development. It was very torturous to be left in shadows, not knowing about the next move of the seemingly omnipotent being, so unpredictable and obviously dangerous if angered. An enormous rock would have fallen down from their shoulders if they knew what he was currently doing.

"I cannot believe it," Danny rubbed his forehead, "I am definitely cursed."

"Stop crying and pay up," Azula rolled her eyes, smirking widely.

"Here," Danny tossed her the game cash. "Why do I always step on the red line?" He put his head on the hand.

"It has nothing to do with luck. It's your own undoing," The princess shrugged.

Two friends decided to relax that evening. Danny definitely needed some rest from the busy week, trying to adjust the world to its former order was complicated. It would have been easier with nearly divine power of the Crown, but he would manage on his own. Azula was also resting in a long while. For a change she let the half ghost decide what sort of otherworldly entertainment they would have that evening. So far she liked everything, starting from watching the movie and eating some delicious foreign food, ending with the table game of monopoly. Danny had already regretted the latter.

"Alright, you damn dice, don't make me step on another damn hotel."

Phantom threw the dice, before slamming his head on the desk at seeing the outcome.

"I give up, you win."

Azula chuckled, leaning back in her seat. "I always win, Phantom, don't you forget that. Even if it is some irrelevant game."

Silence set in the room as the butler brought another two cups of tea. She was not yet ready for fuzzy drinks. The princess didn't like them. Taking a sip, Azula leaned back in her seat. So that's what Danny meant by relaxing a while ago. It was really different from the rest she was used to...but it was pleasant, she could not deny that, albeit she could keep her opinion inside. The princess didn't want to make Phantom even more smug than he was now. With a cup of warm tea, in a soft seat and without anything on her mind...it was truly a bliss.

She didn't notice Danny smiling warmly at his friend. Then he seemed to recall something.

"Listen, Azula...what happened yesterday?"

"What do you...oh, are you never going to leave me on that?"

Danny chuckled. Yes, the past day's occasion was truly unique. He hadn't confronted her on that back then only because he himself wasn't so sure. So, what happened? It started as one of the steps in Azula's far-going scheme. It implied that they were going to create a serious of unfortunate deaths. The Fire Lord was rapidly rebuilding what Phantom had decimated. Azula knew that he was trying to do so before Sozin's comet. It would bolster the power of each fire bender, and it had some sort of symbolic meaning.

Anyways, the two solved the issue easily, and Danny had not so much remorse at the death of that rare scumbag and boot-licker. Once again one of Azula's trusted men assumed the post. The Fire Lord obviously did not see through the deception and agreed to put the guy there. The aim was to make each general-governor loyal only to the princess, unbeknownst to Ozai. But before that something happened, while the two teens remained in the town where the main HQ of the region was located.

It wouldn't have been even a blink on the radar, if only the guards did not harass the locals, just as usual. But those were their countrymen, and it was disgusting all the more. But what left Danny totally speechless was that Azula...stood up for them. Granted, she was about to burn them to a crisp, leaving their children orphaned and their wives widowed, but it was something out of her world. Phantom stopped the disaster before someone could see whose face was under the hood. Azula then reasoned that a favor from the locals was useful, and then she used it. But Danny knew it was not the total truth. Maybe they were making progress, but pointing everything out was not going to speed up the things.

"I'm talking about your firebending," Phantom changed the topic. "Were you holding back or what?"

"Obviously," Azula huffed. She was lying, Danny had learned to see through her deception.

"Azula..."

"What?" The princess narrowed her eyes.

"You know you can tell me," Danny repeated the same cliche motto. "You know I won't kick you out even if your bending will be all gone. So..."

Azula kept staring at him, searching for the tiniest bit of deception. She still hadn't got over the main complex of hers, Phantom guessed.

"Fire is the element of rage, hatred..." the princess started. "While it was directed at the avatar, my idiot brother...I guess it worked out just fine."

"And now when the main subject is your father you are conflicted," Danny finished. "You cannot actually bring yourself to hate him with the same BURNING passion."

"Leave the puns out of it."

Danny raised his hands in surrender. "There must be another way of using fire...very well, I'll send Demiurge to scan the biggest library for anything concerning the subject. In the meantime, don't try the easiest path, Azula. Don't try to eradicate the rest of the feelings just for the sake of getting everything back."

"I'll go there, too," Azula responded. "I think I'll know when I see something of value."

Danny laughed. "No one knows that library better than Ghostwriter. He has already been sending his little bookworms to you with the books you requested. But...very well, I'll arrange everything."

That night, if the reduced light could be considered as such, Azula had nightmares once again. It was the second night in a row when this was happening, ever since the entire ordeal with the governor and her unusual behavior. Nightmares without some grotesque eldritch abominations or anything of the sort, no, those were the vivid dreams, the brightest projections of the memories, brought by the ever developing fever. But it didn't make her feel better. Azula hadn't told Danny about her strange illness, thinking that that thing would just vanish.

The nightmares were about that moment Ozai banished her, all over again. The mind traced back, to all the moments of the seemingly affectionate behavior of her father, now all obviously faked to her blurred, dreamy consciousness. It hurt, and she wanted that damn dream to end. She closed her eyes, but could still hear everything, all that honey, sugarcoated words which she knew were lies. She yelled loudly and in tears, Azula shouted that they all were liars. At her final shout she finally woke up, all in tears. She felt weak, both inside and the outside, her fever was getting the best of her. The princess could barely sit, she was so exhausted. But neither she wanted to lie down, knowing to where it would lead. She saw the clock, it was only 1 am, she couldn't just wait until the proper time. Azula took a ragged breath and buried her head in her knees.

"Azula..."

That voice made her bury her head even more vigorously. No, not her again.

"Azula, look at me," the same soft, motherly voice called for her.

"You are just a hallucination," Azula mumbled. "Why would I need to?"

"Because that's what you did last time."

"So what? You are just a creation of my feverish mind. Why won't you just go away?"

"It is as you said, I'm inside your mind. I'm here because you haven't pushed me out."

"Yes, why didn't I?"

"Because you could need me now of all times."

"I never needed you. Especially not in the form of pestering hallucination."

"You cannot trick yourself, Azula. You know it is not truth."

The princess remained silent, still looking in the opposite direction. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, it startled her and almost made her jump. Hallucinations could not do that. But as she turned to the side, she saw two glowing green eyes looking at her. A soft, sad smile adorned his features.

"A rough night?" Phantom asked in concern.

"You cannot imagine," Azula muttered. "You heard screaming, didn't you? How long have you stood here?"

"Enough," was the brief answer. "Who were you speaking with?"

"With no one. It makes me sound like crazy, doesn't it?"

"Good thing I deal with crazy on daily basis," Danny chuckled. "Are you SURE you don't want to talk about this?"

Azula yawned. "I'm too tired to do anything."

Phantom looked at her for a moment. Her ruined, loose hair, her exhausted eyes and pained look, so poorly hidden. She needed something. Well, maybe a least this, if there wasn't anything else she was willing to accept. Azula felt two arms wrap around her and her eyebrows shot up. Did he just...hug her?

"Whatever this is..." Danny looked into her golden eyes, pulling away slightly. "Don't hold all of this inside, princess. You cannot imagine how light you will feel afterwards. Now, go to sleep. You need it...especially with this fever."

He gave a soft smile, before setting her in the bed.

"Why do you care so much?" She suddenly asked. "I understand that you house me, but..."

"Azula, you helped me learn some things...albeit unintentionally, maybe. And you helped me get over my burdens. Most of them, at least. I will never forget this, and it is only fair that I help you to move on from what troubles you."

Phantom got up, slowly walking to the door. And just as he stood there, he looked back. Several times he had told her this, but the poor girl just could not admit to herself that he was helping her only because of the genuine concern for his lost friend. Her repeated question only showed how insecure she was.

"If only you'd let me."

Next morning Azula felt surprisingly well. Albeit the signs of the fever were still there, like the risen temperature, the princess could muster enough strength to go about her daily routine. Azula still remembered her plans for that day, but she wasn't quite certain of where to go for that purpose. Maybe if she encountered Danny he would explain everything. But when she entered the dining room, she only saw the familiar ghostly servant standing in the corner and writing something.

"No, no, that's not it..." Demiurge mumbled, fixing the monocle. "Oh, shambles, have I forgotten the list in the office?" He then seemed to acknowledge Azula's presence after she coughed. "Good morning, Your Highness. My Lord is currently away on some job, he tasked me to inform you that he is currently in the Boiling Rock. The meaning is lost to me."

Azula smirked. "He doesn't seem to lose time, does he? And you are here..."

"To accompany you, seeing as you are unaware of directions. After you have your breakfast we will set off right to the library. I will also inform you of every detail of His Majesty's whereabouts."

Meanwhile, Phantom was so far on the toughest challenge in a long while. Because some dimwit actually thought that making a prison in the middle of the giant gazer was a good idea, he was nearly suffocating from all that endless steam going upwards. Of course, he could just move to the island itself instead of using pretty inconvenient means of transportation, but where was fun in that? He was going to stage a damn prison break, it should be done in a way that leaves a great story to tell afterwards. So, staying invisible, he was sitting alongside the newest guards that were going to relieve the soldiers stationed down there. The funicular wagon was slowly slipping downhill, while Phantom regretted wearing a costume that day. It wasn't helping at all.

Stepping out on the platform, he decided to add some fresh air by cooling it a bit. The others seemed to enjoy that brief moment of cool air. But Danny didn't wait long, going forward, on to his newest goal. He already was trying to concoct a worthy plan. There was only one exit, and it could not move everyone out, seamlessly much less. Thus, he needed some other thing. Seeing as it was a prison for war prisoners and quote on quote 'traitors', Phantom saw no harm in doing an overkill and freeing all people present. If the princess needed chaos, he would give chaos, because he had mastered this ability to perfection.

Standing on the edge of the metal platform, the king looked around the place. There really isn't much to say about prisons in general. They weren't supposed to be some architectural marvels, instead they were this giant, gloomy structures that imposed authority. In this regard, the place was awfully plain, except for maybe pentagonal structure, but who could care less about it, in all honesty? To get a better idea of what was inside, he had to get to the place where the main boss sat. Yes, getting to the warden's office would give him a good insight.

Grinning, Phantom calmly strolled down, still unseen, recollecting on that one time when he escaped prison once. It took him less than a day, considering the fact that he was unable to utilize his power back then. It should be a piece of cake now. If he got to the office through that labyrinth, that is. Maybe he should possess some guard and know where to go. But, as Phantom was about to step inside another meat suit, he heard a small talk.

"What would the prince do here?"

Danny stopped abruptly, turning around. He tilted his head and approached two guards. So Zuko was here? How convenient.

"Why would I know? It was really stupid to come here on his own. He must have had...some reason."

"So, the warden just...locked him up?"

"Of course not. Well, from what I've heard. The warden has sent a hawk with the message already. Someone from the capital would take him into custody. That's really messed up."

Danny took it as a clue for instigating his search. Once he was in the secure place, and it was the janitor's closet just like in the old times, Phantom decided that he needed some assistance in the search. Time to try something new. Whatever Vlad could do, so could he. Or maybe what he saw in the show. Honestly, his powers were like some sort of bending — the limit to them was only how creative he was. Phantom took off his glove.

Ectoplasm dripped from his palm into another, before taking form of the little flying bugs, the size of the ants. Sending them all around the prison was less-energy consuming than sending the duplicates. The literal spying bugs (and that was made for shits and giggles) cost less. It was his ectoplasm, so he could see what they did when he wanted.

"Hope I'm not getting punished for copyright violations."

Danny chuckled, before hearing the door open. There was an auburn haired girl, teenager at the seems. She stared wide eyed at the white haired guy in a white costume just standing in the closet.

"Uhm..."

"Anyone out there?" Danny asked.

The girl looked around, before shaking head. A move of Phantom's palm and she was inside the closed room.

"Wh-what are you doing? Who are you?"

"I am the janitor ghost. Here to clean up the mess," Danny rolled his eyes. "Before this gets awkward, I'm searching for prince charming locked here."

"And you are in the closet because..."

"Hey, you have to start somewhere. Actually...you are one of the prisoners, aren't ya?"

"What gave me away?" The girl asked sarcastically.

"Nevermind. Interested in getting away?" Danny smiled.

"Better ask who isn't. Now, who are you and why are you helping?"

"Worry not, good lady. All in due time. Mind if I tag along?"

"Uhm...I'd rather not to be seen with a white peacock."

"What's that with girls calling me some kind of bird?" Danny raised his eyebrow and rubbed the back of his neck.

"May I take the mop now?" The girl asked.

It flew into her hand, much to her surprise.

"Fine, I'll do it myself," Danny approached and suddenly went through her, now standing next to the door. The girl shivered, it was like a cold shower. "If somebody asks, you didn't see anything."

With that Phantom vanished from sight. As he was out of the room, his mind was suddenly struck with the image. Danny grinned. Off to the mess hall, then. Soon he was there. Nothing special about it either. That guards on every corner could be a bother to his conversation. And speaking of, there was the prince of the Fire Nation, wiping the floors. Danny stood nearby, unbeknownst to him.

"What a promotion," he whispered. Zuko jumped in surprise and started looking around, but the guards thankfully did not notice. "Yes, it's me, your friendly neighborhood ghost. Now stop looking around."

"D...Danny, what are you doing here?" Zuko whispered, continuing his work.

He was experiencing many conflicting emotions right now. Just what that crazy and powerful ghost was planning?

"Planning a breakout, but I'm not so sure about what to do, actually."

"Why would you do that?"

"Consider this an investment in my personal entertainment. I'll be near Ozai when he hears about this. It gets boring sometimes. So, any ideas?"

"Now is not the time. See me after curfew or something."

"We don't do curfew here, I'm a damn King, I have schedule."

But Danny still walked aside, where the guards weren't watching. So far it was boring.

In the meantime Azula was inside the library. Actually, it was a luxurious manor, with the library just located inside. The princess could see that on the inside was much bigger. The entrance hall wasn't much of that, it was more like one big office, the princess and Demiurge immediately saw the owner of the place sitting at the desk, rapidly pressing buttons on the keyboard of sorts.

The ghost had absolutely pale skin, vivid green eyes and pitch black, unkept greasy hair. Glasses adorned his nose, on his chin was a goatee. Ghostwriter was dressed in a purple coat above the black sweater. A scarf was wrapped around his neck. The owner of that place instantly noticed the visitors. He gave them an inquisitive look.

"Ah, visitors. Lovely," he sighed tiredly, before getting up.

"You have been informed about the visit," Demiurge said.

"Yes, you imprint of imagination," Ghostwriter approached the two. "Albeit, he does appear to have a sense of humor," he murmured as he sized the skeleton. "Anyways, what is it you need?"

Azula thought for a moment. "Some book about firebending, I suppose."

"Oh, please, don't tell me you are one of those," Ghostwriter sighed. "No appreciation for culture that is literature," he made a gesture to follow him. "You are aware that I possess every written piece? Every love letter, every childish scribble? I've seen what your people have been coming up with lately. A crime against what literature is."

They passed several rows of shelves, ghosts popped out there and there, as the place had been now open to the public use. The owner seemed apprehensive about the idea, but Phantom had persuaded him to let everyone enjoy what made Ghostwriter himself passionate. The boy had learned how to press buttons. Nearby slithered some little worm-like creatures. They should have been gross, made out of books' sheets, but no one seemed to mind. They were rather cute actually. They were some sort of workers.

"Fire Lord this, Fire Lord that," Ghostwriter kept his rant, albeit with much less octave. "That really buggers me. After so much effort at writing THE BIBLE, I now see this get popular and it just gets under my skin."

"So...are you like Wan Shi Tong? With all these books and whatnot?" Asked Azula.

"A wannabe, he is," the ghost said dryly. "He, who knows ten thousand things," he huffed. "Pathetic. Are you seeing everything around? I know each word said in all of these books. I do know much, much more, girl. Why do you think we, ghosts, are superior to the spirits? We know much more than they do. If that's their smartest spirit, then they do have a problem."

"A lot of love for spirits you have," Azula mumbled sarcastically.

"I know your world has gotten used to them. And we used to live by them. Are you aware that before Pariah the spirits were in charge?"

They were now in the totally empty part of the library, it seemed much less modern, ancient even. There were torches lighting everything, and the books looked worn-out themselves. But seeing Ghostwriter so seamlessly navigate around made the guests confident that they weren't walking for nothing. Azula blinked at what the ghost said.

"Wait...does that make...King Phantom the second GHOST King?"

"Yes, it is not widely known, girl, but hey, I'm one of the oldest ghosts here. Have been around since that knuckleheads drew a picture of a mammoth on the wall of their cave. So I do remember the old times. It doesn't make Pariah a good person, oh, no, sir. If anything, he wanted all that power for himself, there wasn't any liberation on his mind. My point is that we have developed a sense of uniqueness since then. I know that some spirits are pissed, some fear that he will take them over as well."

"No, Da...Phantom doesn't have anything like that on his mind."

"Tell them that. What they see right now is a teenage boy who so far has been known to them by interfering with their main champion's efforts. On your behalf, must I add. They do not attack because they fear the Crown. All of us do to some degree."

"Yes...I saw why. How can something this powerful exist?"

"That...is something even I don't know. Because it is older than me and no records exist for me to learn that. Some speculate that the entire essence of our world is concentrated there. There is also the Reality Gauntlet, something that can make any person a god...or could, before Phantom destroyed it...surprisingly easily, actually. And I saw the boy use it, quite underwhelming, come to think about it. Pariah used to do more."

"More?"

"Try the Plague which took half of the world's population. Phantom is immature, and thus the power manifests to him through such showcases. The crown gives the power to split the world apart and then repair it how the wearer deems fit. But in this case, unlike the gauntlet, it demands immense will and power of the user."

"He is mature," Azula put in, "Much more than people give him credit for."

Ghostwriter shrugged, "I'm yet to see it. Now, what book exactly do you require? I would have sent a bookworm to retrieve it, but since you are now in high circles...I have to do it myself."

"You don't have to," Azula blurted out.

Had she really just said this?

"Yes, I don't. Now answer."

"Something about the styles and sources of firebending."

Ghostwriter hummed and dug in the shelves, "Let me guess, problems with throwing fire around?"

"Stop playing all smart with me," Azula crossed her arms. "I get it."

"I just asked. I guess I was right, huh? Well, I have no books on that..."

The princess was about to ask what kind of library that was, but then the ghost took out a thick scroll. He blew off the dust and smirked, before outstretching the piece of knowledge to her. Azula gently took it in her hands. It was really heavy.

"The rules are the same as with any other document of the likes. If you damage it in anyway, you will remain indebted to me and you won't like what I would do. You can break the seal, however. Since it is ancient, it must be read here, but you may take notes from it. Now, we must make you a library card first. The past books are on the king's account."

A.N. Does it feel that I'm stalling or am I going somewhere? I can't quite put my finger on it. I mean, I could speed up the pacing a little. Or should I slow down? I also feel repetitive. Help, guys, speak your mind.


	21. Chapter 21: New time

Danny was getting bored out of his mind. He would lose invisibility because of falling asleep. Watching Zuko mop the floor was as entertaining as watching the paint dry. Soon, to his surprise, Phantom got interested once the familiar girl joined the cleaning, but that was it. He chuckled at seeing an awkward exchange between them. Finally he got sick of waiting.

"Alright, I'm tired of it," Danny got up and dropped invisibility.

The guards jumped in surprise, but that was a split second before they all were knocked out. By being tossed into the nearest wall. Both janitors stared at the culprit behind this mess. Phantom smiled innocently.

"Hello again," he waved and approached the two. "So, here is your improvised curfew, Your Highness. Now speak."

"You are awfully demanding," Zuko noted. "We don't have any working plan yet. We haven't been here that long."

"Alright," Danny sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I wonder if my past experience would work. I mean, I did escape the last prison without spending a day in it. Do you think the riot would work? I could help."

"Wait up," that girl intervened. "What are you actually? This kind of stuff is not possible."

Phantom smiled enigmatically, but then he heard an exclamation of surprise. Danny's head snapped in that direction and he saw one particularly scrawny looking guard. About to knock him out as well, Phantom raised his hand, but Zuko was quick to react.

"Wait!" He exclaimed, stopping the curious half ghost. "It's Sokka."

"Oh, so you HAVE teamed up with that little team."

Phantom gently flicked his hand and Sokka was pulled closer at the neck-breaking speed. The guy just stared at the grinning half ghost, stuttering some nonsense, before suddenly clutching the girl and pulling her away from the much amused Danny.

"Suki, do NOT approach this guy," Sokka whispered.

"Who. Is. He!?" Suki exclaimed, obviously tired of being kept in the dark for so long.

"Daniel Phantom, King of the Spirit and Ghost world. Plus-minus the first part. My absolute pleasure. Sup, Sokka, haven't seen you in a while, since, you know...has it been in Ba Sing Se? Shame about that army of yours I had to take down...but hey, I repented and beat the Fire Lord to a bleeding pulp, so...are we good now?

Suki blinked and indeed made an extra step behind. What a perfect and to the point introduction.

"So that's truth?" Zuko asked, somewhat apprehensive.

"Yep. I wasn't myself back then..." Danny rubbed the back of his neck, seeming embarrassed. "Being a god is very intoxicating. Your sister is actually the reason he is still alive."

"Azula? Do you know where..."

"While it is very interesting to know what your crazy sister is doing, Zuko," Sokka chirped in. "We are still in prison, so we have to do something about it. Without..." He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the half ghost. "Otherworldly intervention."

"Okay, then," Danny sighed heavily. "Riot it is, then. Darn, I so wanted to try something different this time around. Just whisking everyone away is too boring. And I still have to get these guards as far away from this prison as possible, because they saw me. Yeah, definitely ditching them on the North Pole."

"Wait, that's going to interfere with my plan!" Sokka exclaimed.

"Really now? Flash news," Danny lowered his head to his eye level, "I don't give a damn, I have my own agenda now. And you are not getting out of here sooner than anyone else."

"That is ridiculous," Suki crossed her hands. "Are you just going to stop us?"

"To be honest, it won't be hard," grumbled Sokka like a baby.

By the sunset Danny returned back to his world. What a joy it was to come home at the snap of his fingers. He could just return to the prison later, he had left the watchers there. In the remaining time Phantom was busying himself with seeking the ins and outs of that whole facility, while the whole plan was hatching like an uncertain chick. He also came to learn that only Zuko and Sokka were present there, and the rest of the group was pretty unaware. Danny was slowly realizing how he could use it to his own advantage.

With a tired yawn he was going through the massive halls of his castle. He actually cackled at the thought. So, the gaang members were sleeping on the nasty prison beds, he was about to take a nap on the royally gorgeous piece of furniture. The mere thought of this was making Danny more sleepy. He was somewhat tired after a day on the field, coupled with a load of paperwork early in the morning. As Phantom passed one of the rooms, he heard a crash inside.

Curious, the half ghost opened the door. What he hadn't expected, was a gust of blue flames into the face. The entire room was engulfed in them, already ruined beyond any recognition, with Azula standing amidst all that chaos. Her hands were the clear indication of what was the source. The princess noted his presence, and, although, startled in the first second, she smiled proudly.

"My firebending is back!" Excitedly exclaimed Azula, throwing even more fire.

Just a few hours ago she was not that enthusiastic. Exasperated even. While reading her own scribbles she couldn't wrap her mind about such ludicrous concepts. She was the one to write them down, yet it still made as much sense as a cabbage in flames. Sitting in the special room where Danny had been practicing his own powers, the princess was reading the pieces of parchment.

It was the ancient technique of firebending, the one that was created the first. Dancing Dragon, they called it. It was based on three types of attacks: low kicks, high punches or hits, and double punches with both fists. It was fierce, quick, and very strong. Azula liked that part. What she did not like was the fact that she couldn't get right down to it. The fire just wouldn't come as anything more than a little gust. It was bad enough that her usual fire bending was weakened, it was just pathetic, no matter how she would try. She later realized that she was hurrying too much. And that she was leaving apart the most disregarded thing. The spiritual part.

It was something totally foreign to her. One would think that spending time in the place few spiritually enlightened people managed to get in as the exalting experience, but not for her. Besides, ghosts were no spirits, she had seen many confirmations to this. Even as scarce as her interactions with the locals were, it was clear that they were just like humans. Many were far from spiritual matters. Therefore Azula was not in a proper environment.

But this task seemed maybe not so daunting at the second look. Passion. That was another source of a firebender's power. She sure had enough, so what was the point? Why didn't it work? It took her a long while to understand the issue. But Azula was smart enough to deduce everything. Maybe she was just mistaking her jumbled emotions for passion. Not enough hatred to use one thing, and too much to utilize the other end of the specter. There was only one solution to the problem.

Just sitting down, she tried to find something, any little thing to grasp and aspire to. It sounded so laughable. What could it be? She had never actually thought about it. What else there was, a question so many people fill their heads with. What she wanted was the key. The neverending train of thoughts eventually led her to the conclusion. She got the idea.

Standing up, she began doing the moves shown to her in the scroll, the ones she had half-memorized, half sketched on the parchment of her own. Fluid and slow, they were nothing like her old style. But, despite occasional mistakes that forced her to begin anew, Azula finally finished that Dragon Dance. Did she feel any different? Maybe. A little.

The princess made a swipe, before an enormous torrent blew forward, obliterating everything on its wake.

"Uhm...good job?" Danny congratulated uncertainly back in the present, "Let's just get you out of this room and I put out the fire, okay?"

Azula shrugged and went out of the room, moving away the flames on her path. As the door was shut behind her, Danny looked at the princess questioningly.

"Couldn't you do that in...another place?" He asked. "Of course, I can repair it in a matter of seconds, but why break it in the first place?"

"Where else can I practice?" Azula put a hand on her hip. "There isn't much of a choice. Be happy that it's not your office or anything like that."

"How considerate of you," Danny grumbled.

"How did the prison break go?"

"It's nothing yet. But your brother and one of the avatar's buddies are there."

"Zuzu is in the prison? Huh, I expected him to last longer this time."

Danny shrugged. "They are planning the escape of their own. Maybe I should just let them. I have other matters to attend to."

"Really?" Azula yawned, suddenly realizing how tired she was as well, "Of what kind?"

"Tomorrow I have a meeting with some spirits arranged. Not the most powerful ones, but it's the first milestone for established relations."

"So you haven't changed your mind on this?" Azula raised an eyebrow, "Just making friends?"

"I won't try to subjugate them with brute force. It was Pariah's way. If they get some sort of representative in our Council, which would grant them certain power...but would also put them under my control, as the Council responds to me. And, as the time would have it, both parts of my world will be united."

"A very sound plan," Azula responded, sounding genuinely impressed.

Danny chuckled, wrapping one hand around her neck, "I learned from the best."

As the conversation went, Phantom couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised at the princess's shift in behavior. She was still harsh occasionally, but it wasn't of malicious kind, more like of the remaining traces of ignorance. It was a step in the right direction, albeit a slow one. Azula suddenly came up with a plan to assist Phantom in his goal. How delightfully devilish of her.

The scheme was quite intriguing. Basically, Phantom could track down the avatar and tell of the two boys' whereabouts, because the latter had not bothered themselves to warn the others. Also, he could strike a deal with the boy. Aang would help maintain order during the negotiations, as the spirits would be more reluctant to try to kill the Ghost King, some would listen. But the plan would have to wait, Danny needed some sleep.

The following day was going to be interesting. Phantom had ordered his spies to find the gaang, while making final arrangements with the more lenient spirits. With the ghostly speed of flight, it wouldn't have taken long. And it paid off, by the time Danny woke up, the avatar's little team was found in the most obvious of places. Phantom was somewhat nervous. After convincing the avatar they would go straight to the arranged place. And he had never done such important negotiations, with the people who were his equals in a sense.

"Calm down already," Azula snapped him out of his musings, "You are the one in charge, just show them that. Be strict and unrelenting, catch every word their tongues spill. And you will be fine."

Danny chuckled at her advice, "We will see if I would need it. Thanks for the word of confidence."

The princess snorted and crossed her hands, "If you die I would lose a roof above my head. Try not to do that."

Clearly that was not all, Danny smirked, before going through the portal. Stepping out right at the grounds of the Air Temple. He was interested in the upside down buildings, but there was a more important issue. It was the middle of the camp, and everyone around was sleeping. The campfire had long since died off, only a thin trail of smoke was going upwards. Smirking at what he was about to do, Phantom coughed.

"Good morning, living world!" He exclaimed loudly.

The chaos he had caused made Danny double over in laughter. Everyone stared in surprise at him, before Phantom saw the rock flying his way. Casually phasing through, Danny rolled his eyes.

"Hello to you too..."

A splash of water into his face interrupted him. Phantom's eyes glowed brighter.

"Enough!" He shouted, "I'm not here to fight."

"Then for what?" Katara asked, holding the water in the air.

"I know where your friends are," Danny grinned.

Aang jumped in front of the entire crowd, "Where are they?" He asked in concern.

"Tut-tut," Danny wiggled his finger, "I'm here to make a deal with you, kiddo."

"What deal?"

"Simple," Phantom made a step forward, but the tensed positions of the rest made him stop, "I'll not only tell you where they are held, I'll bail them out. Shouldn't be hard for me, right?"

Aang seemed thoughtful. It was a very appealing offer, "What do you want from me?" He asked.

"Alright, here is the deal. My world is on the very thin edge. Spirits do not like me, as I am the Ghost King, my own subjects hate the spirits. The situation is tense and the last time the war happened, many millions of souls faded into oblivion. Today I want to establish at least some sort of agreement with them. I want you, the avatar, to try and make them more willing to sign this node."

"To help you get more power?" Katara was suspicious of him as always.

Danny shrugged. "Does including them into the governing body mean that I strengthen my own authority?" He asked innocently, knowing the implications more than anyone, "Yes, if they accept my rule, my power over the world will be absolute. But I have no intention of interfering with the spiritual affairs," Danny looked at Aang.

"It is your job, isn't it?" Phantom asked, "You keep order in this world. Help me get my job done and I will assist you," he tapped on the ground and the portal appeared. Danny made an inviting gesture.

"Why would he go wherever you are planning to?" Toph tilted her head, "We are coming too."

"Not up for debate," responded Phantom, "And if I wanted to kill you...I would have done so already, don't you think? I didn't procrastinate beating the Fire Lord. Keep this in mind."

Rather soon Aang agreed. He was ready to go off with the most powerful being they had ever encountered. Danny was glad that there was some degree of trust. Or maybe the kid was ready to take the risks, who knows. The main point was that the two of them immediately got transported into the mirroring realm of existence.

Aang was taken aback by the landscape, so vast and so empty. The dark sky above was split in two by a thin line. One half being green, black and lifeless, while other was made up from other, bright and lively colors, even if just as unnatural. The neutral ground on the merged parts of the world. It was the perfect place for meeting, the place where neither the King nor the powerful spirits had any sort of power.

"So...ehm..." Aang began, "What now?"

"We wait," Danny shrugged, "I think I should tell you who exactly is coming."

The Air Nomad nodded, sitting on the nearest rock. Phantom summoned the list and read it aloud. The boy was concerned that many of them were unknown to him. How was he supposed to settle them, the spirits of unknown nature, down? It was a new experience, and honestly, it was a good opportunity to learn. Once Danny finished, he looked at the avatar and chuckled. He didn't mention one particular spirit, wanting it to be a surprise.

"First time?" He asked, receiving a nod, "Same for me. But you are at least respected here to a degree," Danny crossed his hands.

"So they hate you? What have you done to them?"

"I am a ghost. That is a proper justification, at least from where they stand."

"Why do they hate your kind then?"

"There is a long history. To them we are the mutineers, the most powerful spirits had split our world by the time of the rebellion. And just between us, Koh, for instance, was not the best master. There were also benevolent ones, but they still could not rule us, because our nature differed so much. They follow their spiritual ideals for the most part, but we used to be humans, our beliefs and motives are the same."

Phantom made the chairs out of green energy, on which they sat.

"Imagine if you needed food and water to sustain yourself, but your rulers told you to simply meditate all the time without any consideration. So, of course my kind couldn't stand this for long. The First Ghost king pushed the spirits to their corner. Pariah subjugated them all with brute force. And technically I do rule both parts, since the spirits broke away after Pariah was sealed away for the first time."

"I see," Aang mumbled, rubbing his hands. It was chill near the half ghost, "And what if the spirits wouldn't agree?"

Danny's look turned grim, "Then the thread of peace will get very thin. I won't go and declare war, but I need to be sure of their own intentions."

Soon the spirits started appearing out of nowhere, big and small, and many were obviously uninvited, judging from Danny's curious look. He seemed calm however, as if he had expected this. But no one was attacking, so it was fine. Everyone just sat on the grassy ground. There were enormous spirits, there were those who were tinier than a pinky finger. It would be complicated to talk with everyone, even if many were simple observants.

All the guests followed almost the same pattern. They would see the Ghost king, show a surprise at his age and appearance, then some would scoff and sit without saying a word, others would even bow with respect, and Danny would nod deeply in response. Then they all would be stunned at seeing the Avatar near the monarch, and it was the impression Phantom was going for. When the king looked at his pocket watch, Danny stood up, took a deep breath and coughed loudly. The silence fell.

"First of all," he began, his voice so loud that it reached the heads of the biggest spirits, "I would like to thank you all for accepting my invitation. This gesture of yours gives me optimism, that the path to reconciliation is somewhere out there. You don't know me, but I know many of you. You have made names for yourselves: Great Harvest Spirit, the Mother of Faces...I seek to make mine known as well. I am Daniel Phantom, the first of my name, the current Ghost King and Pariah's Bane. I know I am not quite what you had expected...but here we are."

"Stop with quaint pleasantries," someone grumbled, "What's the point of coming here? And what's the avatar doing here?"

"You all have agreed to come," Phantom noted, putting a hand on his hip, "Please, don't try to seem insulted. As for the avatar, we have agreed on one matter — there shall be no conflict between our kinds."

"Y-yes!" Aang got up, "And please, there is no need to act hastily only because you dislike each other. I just want to make sure that everyone will be satisfied with this...arrangement. I just ask you to at least listen to what he has to say. If you don't take his word, take mine."

Danny smiled at him, seeing as many spirits shuffled. He took another breath.

"Very well," said the tall, tree like lady with several blank white masks for a face, "What do you have to say aside from pleasantries, boy-king?" She obviously spoke everyone's mind.

"I understand that there was a lot of blood spilled between our people. And that you are the ones worthy of representing the entire spiritual denizens of our shared world. That's why I wanted to agree with you on the matters political. I realized that you would want an assurance that I have no intention of stripping your acquired freedom from you."

"How do we know it is truth?"

"We are free to sign the papers and whatnot, my secretary is here," he pointed at Demiurge, who had appeared out of nowhere, writing on the scroll with impossible speed, "But I know how you treat such bureaucracy, so better leave it be. I'm being genuine in my desire to avoid any conflict. Not a single soldier of mine would ever set their feet here on my behalf."

"What do we have to be sure of your claims?"

"Because you will take part in making decisions concerning your part. Choose the one who will speak on behalf of you all, and the Council will have a new addition. Its role is advisory for the most part, so I would be aware of the will of my subjects, but you may join even without accepting my rule per say."

"Awfully sugarcoated, it is."

"What's the catch, boy?"

"It comes with a price, yes. It is a double edged sword. In the same manner how your decisions affect the Council, you will be affected by the verdicts made by it. As much as I am willing to satisfy you as well, my subjects are of the greatest priority to me, I hope you understand."

"This won't be fair," Aang noted, much to Danny's displeasure. But the kid had to be just, after all. The avatar got up, still holding his staff, "There will be one spirit and many, many ghosts."

A murmur of agreement sounded across the crowd. Danny nodded.

"A fair enough point," he said, "I am ready to listen for the proposals. But I doubt that everyone here will be able to send a representative. Ghost Lords have a lot of subjects, capable of such job. We are not talking about antisocial elements who live in seclusion. You, however, are free, without any governing force. So it is either one representative, or none, for it will not be inclusive enough."

"So we should make this one person powerful enough in the Council," someone suggested, earning agreement.

"He himself said that the Council had no power. What even is the point of having authority there?"

"You don't say," Phantom responded, "Wars, interventions, all are decided there and without their agreement we shall not do something so drastic. There is also the list that can be given out if you desire. The point is, the Council is not powerless. What you cannot make up in numbers, you will compensate with the fact that the spokesman will represent half of the entire world."

In actuality, Danny didn't want to give them too much power. They would prove to be a bother otherwise. A huge bother to his plans concerning the world Azula belonged to. Better just have an informal power than the one on paper. He did not want to be a Polish king, powerless against omnipotent nobility. Luckily the spirits weren't the most advanced in the fields of politics.

"What is important is the rest of your part of the world," Phantom put hands behind his back, hiding them under the white cape, "You are not the majority of the spirits. Can I be assured that the rest of your people will follow our current agreement?"

"Don't hurry," an ironically slowly talking spirit said, "We haven't agreed yet."

Danny groaned internally, rubbing his temples, "Very well. But I am yet to hear objections. Go on."

All of that was getting on his nerves, they were complaining, yet not suggesting anything of value. Phantom could suggest quite a few things instead, but why help them now, as they are convinced that his offer is the most just there is to make. That's what made spirits so unfit for politics of any sorts, they had little understanding of how the governments worked. Even in times of Pariah they weren't very active.

It took a lot of consideration on the spirits' part. Phantom did not want to give them any concessions, but had to keep the appearance of the considering and caring leader. With nothing more to add, the spirits finally agreed with the king, assured that their shared voice will be heard and always be kept in mind.

The king was rejoiced at his splendid victory on diplomatic front. It was a marvelous moment for the entire world, when two of its major parts, at least partially, reunited. Yes, they still spewed at his face, yes, it was only a tiny amount of spirits who accepted the offer, but it was the broken iceberg that had been growing for decades.

Demiurge dealt with all the formalities, he wrote down every word, in official style, so to say. Each name was mentioned, so no one would back down later. Once they were alone, Danny patted Aang's shoulder.

"You did well, kid. Thanks a lot."

"I'm glad to be of help," Aang smiled, "The spirits seemed content with the deal. Speaking of which..."

Danny rolled his eyes, "Yes, yes. I will take it from here. Your buddies are in the Boiling Rock. Don't go anywhere from the temple you were in when I found you. Because when Zuko and Sokka will be freed, they need some place to go to...may I ask you a question?"

"Uhm...sure?"

"You intend to fight the Fire Lord. Let's suggest you win, what next?"

"I never thought about it...you had something in mind?"

Danny grinned.


	22. Finale

"Long have I waited..."

"What?" Danny exclaimed, dropping popcorn from his mouth, "You were dead, dipshit!" He exclaimed at the screen, his exasperation reaching its boiling point. He then fell back in the sofa, lacking any words to say.

The princess grimaced at his behavior and sat a little bit apart. He was reacting too emotionally to the revelation within the movie. That binge watching of nine movies was getting to him. That was a very bad idea, considering that, once summed up, it would take more than twenty hours. Sleep deprivation was making him easy to aggravate with all the growing stupidity in the last movies. Sighing, both royalties just went back to watching. Just a little bit left.

"Maybe we should go to sleep," Azula suggested tiredly.

"Good idea," Danny shut off the TV, "There is a limit to the intake of stupidity."

Rubbing her eyes, the princess nodded, "You are right. But still...thank you for taking my mind off all of this. It did help."

"Don't mention it," Danny yawned, putting his hands behind his back, "Preparing to overthrow your father...that's a lot to take in. I'm sure you will manage, princess."

As the days had gone by, the plan the princess had concocted was slowly setting in motion. The Fire Sages were under her control, the religious body of the Fire Nation now served her interests only. Despite the cult of personality Danny had come to notice while being in the country, surprisingly many generals and governors were ready to bow before the princess, especially after Ozai crowned himself as a Phoenix King. That Phoenix was limping a bit, but overall he had recovered. The military officers served the Fire Lord, but by this action Ozai had basically discarded his position in favor of being the ruler of the world. It was insulting, the act lowered the importance of the Fire Nation.

Azula, first and foremost, secured the sympathies of the capital garrison, and those of the neighboring regions. An interesting historic account: she had basically done what each prince of Ottoman Empire had accomplished. The key principle — after father's death the son who gets to the capital first becomes the new sultan. Usually it ended with the execution of brothers. And the time to get to Constantinople depended on where the loyalties of bureaucrats lied.

Back to the topic, the stage was set, the play was about to unfold. It was going to be the sight to behold. But Azula was faced by another question brought up by her friend. What was to be done with the world? With Ozai beaten, the Fire Nation was still ruling most of the world, yet many big cities were slipping out of control, especially Ba Sing Se, without the princess around, who could solve the matter. Danny actually had the gall to ask her to leave that conquest. Simply like that, abandon the conquest and make peace.

Azula was not angry at him per say, it was more of a shock. It was a mere suggestion at the king's behalf. They argued a lot, yet Danny brought up the issue of keeping that enormous, bloated giant together. The world was not advanced enough to preserve order everywhere. It could work in the modern world, but not in the one that was in the ancient times in terms of politics and communication. And it could spell disaster for the entire country, even within the borders of the archipelago.

But on the other hand, the signing of peace was going to ruin her entire reputation. What was worse she did not know. The position was indeed dire.

Phantom was more concerned with Ozai's plan. The madman planned on burning the Earth Kingdom to the ground! That moron planned to rule the scorched, lifeless ground, what was wrong with that idiot?! The lives of thousands were at stake. Danny wasn't going to let that happen, lack of intervention be damned. Yet, the spirits just had to thwart his efforts. They claimed that the Avatar was supposed to stop Ozai, and they were deaf to the people's suffering. That's why the ghosts hated that self-centered creatures.

Yet Phantom could step in himself, without the army and with Fright Knight only, to stop the genocide. Azula was happy that he decided to assist, in one way or another. Danny had his own part in executing the plan. The air fleet of the Fire Nation had to be stopped. And hopefully Aang would do the job of his own as intended. Phantom also could free the cities such as Ba Sing Se, it would make the opportunity for signing peace real. With great reluctance, Azula agreed. She cared not for the war, she needed to see her father in the mud. At least, that was her initial intention.

The more time the princess spent with her ghostly friend, the more she realized how petty her scheme was. In the grand picture it seemed so small. Among the Great War about to reach its crescendo, the Spirit world being slowly united by one powerful, yet inexperienced teen, Azula's desire to make her father notice her again seemed so selfish and tiny. The point of pride for her was the fact that she was able to question her own ideas. After all, Danny could not read her thoughts, so no judgement could be passed by an outside mind. But that didn't mean that her own mind wouldn't give her someone to talk to.

Sitting on her bed in silence...that was the thing Azula had been doing a lot. She seemed to have an unusual sense of peace in such silence. The constant rush, the intrigues, she never had neither the peace, nor silence. On that day she was trying particularly hard to relax, as it was the day before the Sozin's comet. Then she heard the motherly voice once again.

"Are you worried?" The question followed.

Azula never answered ever since the first conversation. But something, somehow pushed her into responding. The reasoning behind it...well, the culmination of events was to be just that. And if she would still be haunted by the ghosts of her own past, then what's the point?

"How did you guess?" The princess mumbled. Slowly, reluctantly she turned towards the source of the voice.

Nearby sat the woman of her late twenties, just the way Azula remembered her. Not surprising, after all, her own mother near was indeed a hallucination, an imprint left on the mind. Dressed in the regal clothes, with a beautiful face, long flowing auburn hair went down her shoulders. The golden eyes of the princess were inherited from her mother. After the response only silence was present in the air. Nobody said anything for a good minute.

"Do you...want to talk about the situation?" Ursa asked.

"It will eventually deteriorate into the talk about us. But fine, you, vivid memory given shape."

"Please, don't be like this, Azula."

"Alright, I'll just pretend you are real and feed my insanity," the princess sighed, "Where should I begin?"

"You have changed, Azula."

"Really? You keep surprising me with your observation skills."

"You talk back, snarl...for what? Could it be that you are coping with everything like this?"

"Maybe. I don't know," Azula stood up, rubbing her hands, "I'm not myself clearly. And I now begin to question what is 'myself'. Was it how I envisioned myself, what the others saw...or what you thought of me? Father, the people, each time I talked to the latter, they feared me, father abandoned me like a toy. I am not a toy to anyone anymore, and I have no people to rule over right now. And I envisioned myself as the proud princess of the Fire Nation, yet I am here, reduced to a simple denizen of the dead world. Without all of that there is nothing, but the monster you saw me as...nothing to disprove it yet."

"There is nothing to disprove, because I myself was mistaken in the first place."

Azula looked at her mother in surprise.

"What?" She whispered.

"It was all my fault," Ursa said sorely, "All this time I was just so afraid...so afraid that I was ready to ignore my own child...I've never made a mistake so horrible."

Azula clenched her fists, "Stop it," she demanded, "You are not her! You say what I want to hear, nothing else!" She almost shouted in denial, closing her eyes.

Ursa did not respond, lacking any words to utter. Azula was right. And it seemed that her daughter's words struck deep within, the sharp blades hurting more than cold metal. So many emotions for what the princess deemed as a figment of her imagination. When the princess opened her eyes again, the hallucination vanished. Azula fell on her knees.

"What's wrong with me?" She muttered in exhaustion. Why was it so easy for her to lose herself now? In all that time away from the throne was filled with more tears than ever in her entire life before. There was nobody to comfort her right now. Danny was away, and she was now alone with her thoughts.

'Hold yourself together!' Azula shouted mentally, before getting up and wiping her face. Better just let the events go further.

And on the fateful day, the comet arrived. The flaming arrow in the sky, so bright that it could rival the sun at its zenith. The Fire Lord committed the worst mistake in his life — he left the capital alone, basically unguarded. The puzzle pieces were put together and the instruments of fate were about to play their loudest part. Standing on the hill near the palace, both Phantom and Azula watched the city below. The princess took a deep sigh.

"You alright?" Danny asked in concern, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, I'm fine," the princess responded curtly, "Just do your job and return as soon as you can," she looked at him, "And please, come back as soon as you can," Azula asked softly, "Just in case."

Phantom smiled cheekily, "Sure thing, Your Fiery Majesty."

With that being said, Danny suddenly gave her a hug, before whispering.

"You are the greatest Azula, you will do it."

Then Phantom vanished in the smoke, leaving Azula alone to herself. The closer she was to such triumph, the less confident she felt. Why was it like that, she thought on the way to the palace. Maybe because she had never done something so daring. Azula pushed away the extra thoughts, stepping on the stone floors of the palace grounds. They were full of soldiers, ready to bring her to the throne at the tips of their spears. What an impractical metaphor. Near the entrance to the palace stood War Minister Qin, who looked scared.

"Oh, P-princess Azula, can you explain what's going on?" He asked timidly.

She gave him a deadpan look, briefly glancing at the group of generals.

"It is a coup, War Minister," Azula responded, "So you either step aside or..."

The closest firebenders ignited their hands, making Qin pale to inhuman shade of white. He did step aside, before being put under guard just in case. The victorious stroll through the palace went without any troubles. All the resistance was futile and almost nonexistent. She needed to go to the main yard, to make the coronation a public knowledge. There the Fire Sages would be waiting for her. But as the princess went around the corner, she was greeted by an unexpected sight.

"Hello, Azula!" Ty Lee said loudly, looking very excited.

"Yes, hello," Mai greeted her as well.

To say that Azula was shocked was to say nothing. She ordered the soldiers to go ahead and leave the girls alone. Without arguing, the soldiers did just that. Silence settled in the room for a good minute, because no one knew how to begin a conversation. They had separated on a very sad note, and now were meeting in such circumstances. Finally, Azula found the proper words.

"How did you know?" She asked.

"Danny told us," Mai shrugged, "And so far it is the most crazy thing you have ever done."

"Of course he did," Azula chuckled, shaking her head. She was thankful for such initiative of her friend, "Are you...with me on this?" The princess asked, "I'm not asking you for that, because I realize that I'm reaching for a lot."

Both girls blinked. It was the nicest she had ever been. That was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. Danny's company obviously was a very good influence.

"To go against the Fire Lord himself?" Mai asked.

"And possibly be punished with a death penalty?" Ty Lee added, before grinning, "This is just crazy."

"Yet you have a king of spirits on your side," Continued Mai, "You have already proved that crazy is not something unusual to you. Besides, we can risk it. Your father is already at our families' guts."

"What do you mean?"

"After you left our houses were flipped upside down," Ty Lee complained, "And he threatened Mai's father with execution. The Fire Lord has become a real craze. And if he will rule us...well...it's going to be nasty. Still, we are with you, Azula, whether you like it or no..."

The acrobat was suddenly enveloped in a huge hug, along with Mai. Now Azula was totally not herself.

"Thank you, you two. If not for you and Danny I would have gone insane myself. I even started seeing things, it was horrible," she dropped a single tear, before wiping it away, "Alright. Let's get this thing going already."

Three girls smiled, ready to take on everything just like in good old times. The yard outside was already filled with the soldiers, cheering for her to claim the throne. The seat was already prepared for her, and her puppet sages were already waiting. Azula hadn't bothered to put the ceremonial robes, just getting to the show straight away. The people from afar could actually see the scene and wonder what the hell is going on. Azula sat on the throne, golden, shaped like a torrent of flames. The fire sage coughed, before opening the scroll.

"In these turbulent and uncertain times, the Fire Nation needs a capable leader," he began reading. Azula blinked and took a peek at the list. It was Danny's handwriting. How sweet, apparently he even made a speech for her coronation. Didn't make it less unneeded.

"The one who shall lead our nation through its highs and lows, to take us from the deepest pits and put us on the mountain peak. No person is capable of setting off on this journey alone, but the one who has treaded it can guide the rest. The uneasy path of life has been walked by you, and now you have come to the wider road. In you, princess Azula, we put our trust and faith, and let the Fire Nation will be known for the greatest achievements made during your reign."

Azula knew that through the raspy voice of the sage it was essentially Danny talking to her. And it was touching to hear such words. No matter how she would hide it. He really believed that she was fine now? That was a very bold statement to make. Yet he did believe in her, he always did.

"The Fire Nation has lived through this war, and you have done your enormous part in nearing its end. For such an age you have achieved what very few Fire Lords before you did. For that the country shall be eternally grateful to you. And the wrong accusations, false pretenses and insane blabbering shall not sully your noble name. By the decree of the mighty spirits we crown you the newest Fire Lord."

The headpiece was about to adorn her head, and Azula even closed her golden eyes. But the fire sage stopped. Curious, the princess opened her eyes and saw something shocking. The flying bison, and it landed on the free ground. Katara and Zuko jumped off, ready to give a fight to the soldiers around them, only for Azula to give a signal to back off. She got up and started approaching the two. Mai, meanwhile pierced Zuko with her look, the prince obviously noticed it, but had to divert his attention.

"What's the meaning of this, Azula?" He exclaimed.

"I thought it was obvious, Zuzu," the princess crossed her hands.

"You are getting crowned? You were banished just like me!"

"By an old nutcase who cannot think straight anymore? Don't you of all people tell me this."

Azula's reaction caught Zuko off guard. That seemed to be a common occurrence lately. He then looked around, but Katara beat him to the question.

"Where is your last team member?" She inquired.

"Phantom is...busy."

Another baloon was set on fire. The people around started to scream while attempting to evacuate. Phantom whistled innocently while not even bothered by the soldiers running away and the fact that the zeppelin was falling down, slowly, but inevitably. He leaned against the wall, checking his pocket watch. This one was done in one minute, that was a record. Suddenly he was interrupted by Fright Knight appearing out of nowhere, making the half ghost flinch out of surprise.

"I've sent them to their deaths, sire!" He exclaimed, before the nearest ship exploded.

Danny rolled his eyes, "It still counts as one, pal."

"What?! There were at least thirty soldiers!"

Both ghosts phased through the walls of the zeppelin. The transport fell into the ocean, while they remained floating in the air. Danny assumed a lying position.

"I count mine as such, Fright. No prejudice here. Because I don't kill the people here," he looked down, "Well, at least this way some can actually survive. Not that we should care for them, they did plan on starting another genocide."

Suddenly another vessel was combusted, confusing both competitors. Apparently, someone else was mingling with the ships. Danny scrutinized his eyes at seeing multiple dots on the top of one of the zeppelins. Someone was there, and Phantom had a creeping suspicion that he knew who that was. The king stood up in the air.

"Fright, go deal with the rest. They must not get to the shore."

"Where are you going?" The ghost asked, stopping Danny mid flight.

"I'll help the others, they need my help more than you do."

Fright nodded, before Phantom burst forward himself. Soon he would end up helping the rest of the avatar's team.

"We seem to be at the crossroads, don't we?" Azula asked a rhetoric question.

"And we both have the same claim," Zuko responded, "I will not let you of all people rule our country!"

The princess narrowed her eyes, before looking at the lieutenant of the guards. She ordered them to go over the city, to secure any entrances, to leave the family alone, face to face. The close friends and the Fire Sage remained, the soldiers had left in a matter of minutes. The religious head hid behind the throne, expecting the things to escalate.

"And who is going to stop me, you?" Azula asked, "What do YOU know about ruling? All you have done was running around the world with the sworn enemy of our state."

"The Avatar is not the enemy of the Fire Nation. He is your enemy. And father's."

The other people present on both sides preferred not to interject. Something told them that that was important. Nonetheless, they were ready to fight if something happened.

"Doesn't remove the issue that you don't know a thing about governance. I've learned these things for years. I always was more talented than you. Look around, I have an army of my own. My greatest ally rules the entire world, and the people still love me despite me being banished. You have nothing! Nothing but your idiotic belief that you can just come and proclaim that you are in charge now."

"I have an understanding that the world needs changes. You are only going to pull the Fire Nation deeper into the hole our great-grandfather plunged it into."

"And with this 'understanding' you have have come here. I've done all of this not for you to come, ruin it and take everything for yourself!" Azula yelled.

One man already used all her efforts for his own gain, she wouldn't let any other person to do the same thing again. For a split second it almost seemed like she was going to fry the prince alive, but Azula unclenched her burning fists. She took a deep breath. Zuko stepped forward, actively trying to understand why his sister was behaving so strange. Everyone was wondering, after all, it's been only a couple of weeks since she had disappeared. And yet the change so drastic, she had never looked so uncertain.

"We can solve this in two ways, Azula," Zuko said, and the princess looked at him sharply with her golden eyes, "You either step down peacefully or we can decide everything by Agni Kai."

"You actually challenge me?" Azula raised her eyebrow, before smirking, "Bring it, then."

"Uhm...Azula," Ty Lee put in uncertainly, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"If you have a suggestion on how to settle this, I would love to hear it. What are your thoughts, Mai?"

"I'd rather stand aside on this one," the girl stated, throwing a brief glare at Zuko. His sudden departure was still fresh in her mind.

Katara just saw no other option. She knew Azula would never step down like that. Simply and without a fight. She was right on one thing, after all, the princess had prepared a proper ground for a takeover, they were like flies going after a fresh dish. And thus she did not attempt to stop the two from solving the issues one way and not the other. There was neither the room nor time for arguments, diplomatic negotiations. Katara had to step aside. The duel was to be between the two.

Azula and Zuko stepped within a circle, so conveniently placed in the middle of the square. The damage was going to be immense, both sides deduced, after all, the sky was still ablaze, for the comet was still up in the sky, putting the sun itself to shame. Both heirs were firebenders, and both of their strengths had increased. The first one to attack was the princess.

The torrent of azure flames burst forward, but the prince rolled away, tossing more and more gusts of fire with the short punching moves. Azula raised a wall, and fire absorbed fire. Through it jumped Zuko and continued throwing the flames. The battle kept going without either side getting a breather. Infernal duel went on and on, but it's not the number of landed shots, not the damage caused as their result that were significant and meaningful about the fight.

Katara saw the way Azula moved. It was not how she had used to fight. Swift, merciless and endless bursts were natural to the princess's way of battle. Now her firebending for some reason was like Zuko's: flowing, akin to waterbending. It seemed that the prince noticed this change as well. It was questionable how it affected Azula's power, was she weaker because of the style unnatural to her, or stronger. With how she held up against her brother, it seemed that the princess wasn't that weak, but she couldn't defeat Zuko either.

The ground around the fighters was scorched beyond recognition. But the royals themselves were relatively unscathed. Only exhausted. How long had it been? Half an hour? No, only ten minutes? The teens only looked at each other.

"What's the matter?" Asked Zuko, "Has it got so hard for you?"

"I have no need for killing you, that's it. You should thank me, if anything."

"Neither have I. Just surrender, Azula, not everything is lost yet."

"Yes, not everything. On the contrary, I will get what I want and get all there is. Father has wronged me, but I will make it right."

"Is this what you really want? Is this what drives you forward?"

"You have spent too much time with uncle," Azula remarked dryly.

"And you with a philosophic corpse. This doesn't matter."

"You are right. It doesn't matter. The throne is just a chair I sit on. What really matters is that I have changed, Zuko. I am more than a simple princess, I am my own person. I have changed, and now I see the bigger picture, what I was and what I am, as you can see."

"I cannot see. Because so far you have been doing what you used to."

"Call it a rudiment. You still can walk away, I won't stop you. I won't bother you at all. Is this not good enough?"

"This is not about you and me. This is about the fate of the world. And I wouldn't take the chances. I can offer you the same thing."

"You lie," Azula chuckled sadly, "You really think that the world will simply forget about what I did? They will thirst for my blood. And I have no trust for you. Neither the father, nor the majority of the people around."

"So that's it," Zuko carefully made steps towards her, "You are afraid that your life will be in danger. I promise you..."

"I told you," Azula snapped, "I will not believe that after everything I've done you will forget about it. You will put me away, into prison, or asylum for all I know. And you know what? You will be right to do so. And that's the worst thing."

Silence fell over the place. No one said anything. Mai and Ty Lee looked at each other, before noticing that they weren't alone. Phantom was sitting nearby, quiet and thus unseen by the girls until this very moment. Danny glanced at them with the same thoughtful look without saying a word. He was too busy thinking about his friend, so conflicted right now. He would have stepped further, to stop her mental self beating, but no, he would be an extra person there, he would be out of place. Azula was glancing around, not wanting to look into her brother's eyes, and then saw the half ghost sitting on the staircase. Danny only smiled softly at her.

"I...I don't want to fight, Zuko," Azula stated, "Please, go."

"You know I cannot. Azula, I was just as lost as you are. I of all people would understand you more than anyone. I understand that after everything between us we probably wouldn't be able to be on friendly terms, but...I forgive you, Azula, like uncle forgave me."

Then, the princess's shoulders shook. A tear went down from her eye, then she sobbed, then sobbed twice, and finally it broke her. She fell on her knees and began to cry. Zuko kneeled near her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Azula pulled away. The prince flinched a little when the half ghost appeared out of nowhere right near them. Danny decided that he should necessarily take part in this, he should give comfort to her. Azula briefly noticed him and instinctively grabbed the half ghost.

'No matter how strong you are, inner demons always come to the surface,' Danny hugged the crying princess closer.

In silence they sat, and the other girls did approach, Katara came right near the prince, but Azula's friends, understanding that she wouldn't want too much attention to her weakened state, the girls stood a little distance further.

"Here, here," Danny calmed the princess down, "Everything is alright."

"Yes," Azula sobbed and wiped her face. Everyone had to give her credit, she was quick to calm down no matter what happened. The princess stopped hugging the half ghost, embarrassed a bit, and got up. She looked at Zuko.

"I admit, I don't need the throne. All of this has been only to spite father and," she chuckled, "You will manage just as well."

Everyone blinked, but then many smiles crossed their features. Azula looked at Danny.

"I hope I can still stay at your domain?"

Phantom blinked again, "Ehm...sure. But I thought..."

"I know that my life won't be calm or anything like that for as long as I am here. I will only be a bother to Zuko. His position will be weak from the start and I will shatter everything. You, on the other hand, I want to keep helping you, in exchange for helping me find myself."

Danny smiled, "Azula, you have already helped me. If anything, we are even now. And I will be happy to give you a place to be called home."

He then went for a very daring move. A slight peck on the lips made everyone drop their jaws. Azula stood frozen, looking wide-eyed at him.

"If you are looking for a romantic responding kiss, you are mistaken," Azula smirked lightly.

Danny laughed, before a portal opened behind them. The princess gave a hearty goodbye to her friends, promising to visit them later. The two went through the portal, knowing that for the princess a totally new life was about to begin.

A.N. This story has been a huge pleasure to write, I must say. For me it has been a certain quality mark, although this chapter does seem a bit rushed. Thank you for staying with this book through everything. And just as an announcement, not to stand up twice, I must warn that the frequency of any updates whatsoever is going to diminish. Not because I've lost interest, rather have found new ones. I am half way through with writing my original novel, as I'd like to have some earnings from my hobby, I'll see how it goes. The university doesn't let me slack, so there is little time for fanfics. But I will try to please my readers. We've been together for almost three years, after all.


End file.
